when you wish upon a dark star
by shel
Summary: chris attempts the impossible to save the charmed ones...
1. part one

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CHARMED

"When You Wish Upon A Dark Star" 

by shel

© december 2003

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disclaimer: __

the charmed ones, cole, leo, chris, and the rest of the cast of characters we've come to know and love, belong to spelling television, inc. and possible other copyright holders. i intended no true infringement on their copyrights; i only wanted to borrow these marvelous characters for a short time in my own scenarios and hopefully return them no worse for wear; the only things i've gained from this story are the satisfaction and pleasure of having written it and in knowing that others may have enjoyed it too __

rating: __

pg-13 __

summary: __

chris attempts the impossible to save the charmed ones __

timeline: __

a week after the events from season 6's __

archive: __

please don't without expressed permission... __

notes: __

some minor reference to centennial charmed' (sorry, it couldn't be helpedplease let me know if you enjoyed my tale and why and, if not, why notand, please, don't bother wasting your time or mine by sending any flames __

**__**

Part One

"Where is everyone?" Chris asked Piper when he orbed into the kitchen.

Piper stopped feeding Wyatt and glared at him, "What, no Hello, Piper, how've you been for the week that I simply disappeared off the face of the Earth?'"

"Sorry," he apologized distractedly as he looked around the room. "So, where are they?"

"They?" she sighed as she handed Wyatt another tiny piece of chicken.

"Your sisters," he replied, exasperated. "C'mon, I know I left without a word but I needed to get away and clear my head after what happened and now I need you and your sisters."

Piper was about to retort when she caught his solemn look. "It's serious?" 

"Very," he nodded. "I found out that a Dark Starling is going to attack and I need you all to be prepared."

Piper ignored Wyatt's waving hand and she concentrated on Chris. "Prepared? How?" But without waiting for an answer, she rushed to the phone. "Paige first," she mumbled to herself, "then Phoebe." 

"Where are they?" he demanded impatiently before he sensed something different. The house was quiet. Too quiet for an early Saturday night with three single females under one roof. "They're not here, are they?"

"Of course not," she snapped as she read from Paige's note on the fridge and dialed Richard's number. "And if you wouldn't disappear on us without word, you might know they don't live here anymore."

"What?" Chris sputtered.

Piper glared at him in return, "All right, so Phoebe's testing the waters by visiting Jason but it might become permanent. Paige, of course, moved in with -- Richard? Hi, it's Piper."

"You need Paige," Richard automatically responded.

Piper winced at the tone of his voice, "Sorry, it's just --"

"I know," he brusquely interrupted, "it's just business. I'll tell her to go over."

"Wait," Piper called out, "tell her to orb to Phoebe first and bring her back to the house. That'll save some time."

"Will do," he agreed in a friendlier tone before he disconnected the call.

Chris threw his hands up in the air, "I don't believe it! I'm only gone a week and it's gone to hell! You couldn't wait, could you? After everything I went through, you went ahead and did it anyway."

"Did what?" Piper asked with annoyance as she tried to settle her son. "What's going on?" She looked up to the ceiling and shouted, "Leo! Leo, get down here!"

"I can't believe this," Chris muttered. "You actually separated. You have no idea what you've done," he accused.

"We're still Charmed Ones," she defiantly stated. "We're just living our own lives now."

Leo orbed into the kitchen and, after a quick glance to his excited son, asked Piper, "What's wrong?"

"You tell me," she ordered. "Chris, here, seems to think my sisters and I have committed the ultimate sin by going in our own directions."

"How could you let them split up?" Chris angrily asked Leo. "Do you have any idea what it'll do?"

"Why don't you tell us?" Leo challenged. "You're the one with all the secrets."

"You know what's going to happen, don't you," Piper realized. "Is this Dark Starling after Wyatt?" she asked Chris. "Is this what you've been so worried about since you met us?"

Leo watched her lift Wyatt from his highchair and hold him protectively in her arms. Leo brushed his son's soft hair and calmly asked Chris, "Is that true? Is one after Wyatt?" Chris reluctantly nodded and Leo turned to Piper, "You have to get Paige and Phoebe back here and start preparing a vanquishing potion and some shields."

"I called Paige at Richard's and she'll get Phoebe," Piper informed him. "In the meantime, tell me what a Dark Starling is."

*********** ********** ************


	2. part two

**__**

Part Two

"I'm trying to have a serious conversation with you," Phoebe complained as she pushed away Jason's roving hands.

"Just making the most of what's left of our morning," he teased. "You know I'll be in meetings throughout the day." But Phoebe sat with her arms crossed against her chest so he leaned back against the futon and ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "You wanted to talk about magic and I wanted to show you magic," he sighed.

"Not that kind of magic," she responded with the hint of a smile. "Come on, Jason, I didn't come all this way just to have non-stop sex with you."

"Could've fooled me," he grumbled. But he saw the hurt look on her face and apologized, "I'm listening now. Honest, what is it you want to tell me?"

"This isn't easy for me," she quietly replied as she stood up and began to pace. "There's so much about me you don't know. Things you couldn't possibly imagine. That's one of the reasons why I've only made this a short visit. I need to know you can accept me knowing I'm --"

"There isn't anything you can tell me that's so bad," he interrupted, "that I wouldn't accept you exactly as you are."

"I'm a witch," she blurted out. She stopped pacing, turned around, and repeated more forcefully, "I'm a witch."

Jason stared at her for a few seconds before he burst out laughing. He got to his feet, went over to her, placed his hands on her upper arms, gave them a gentle squeeze, and told her, "Being a witch isn't a crime or I'd've fired Elise the day after I met her." He kissed the tip of her nose and hugged her.

But Phoebe pushed herself out of his embrace. "You don't understand," she insisted, "I'm a witch. A real, honest-to-God, witch. Didn't you ever see Bewitched'?"

"Honey, it's just a TV show," he patiently explained. "It isn't real. Now what is it you really want to tell me?"

Phoebe sighed and realized she took the wrong track in explaining. "I know it's not real. But I am. I have powers and my sisters have powers and we protect the innocent from demons and evil." Jason's expression showed he clearly didn't believe her so she levitated herself a few feet off the ground.

Stunned, he looked up at her and managed to ask, "How'd you do that?"

"Levitation's one of my powers," she answered as she landed lightly on the floor.

"No one can fly," he stated with sudden anger. "What's going on? Did you hypnotize me? Put something in my coffee?"

"Of course not," she retorted in shock. "I'd never do anything like that. I'm simply telling you the truth. Remember all those strange things that happened when we first met? Things I never really explained? They all happened because of magic. Jason, there's a whole world of magic out there that most people aren't even aware exists."

"Like fairies and unicorns?" he scoffed.

"They're real," she insisted. "I've seen them. Touched them. Cared for them."

"You know, Phoebe, if you didn't want to move here," he sadly said, "you didn't have to be this creative. You could've just been honest with me. Told me it was too soon or that you wanted to stay home in the States. This's all --"

"The truth," she declared. "You're the one who claimed to love the fact that I was so mysterious. But now you know why. It's not like I go around telling everyone I meet that I'm a witch but, if we're going to continue this relationship, you have to know about my being a witch."

"A witch," he repeated in disbelief. She nodded and he continued, "And you protect the innocent just like some superhero."

Phoebe shook her head and quietly corrected him, "We're not superheroes and we don't always save the innocent. Sometimes we lose them."

"I don't believe this," he muttered.

"Nevertheless," she sighed, "it's the truth. It's who I am." Jason suddenly turned from her and she rushed around him to face him. "It's still me, Jason," she implored, "I'm still the same person I was five minutes ago."

"But maybe I'm not," he quietly told her.

"What can I say that --" Phoebe stopped when she caught sight of Paige peeking at her from the doorway at the other end of the room. She waved Paige in, "You may as well, I just told him."

Paige sheepishly approached them and apologized, "Sorry, but it's important."

"How the hell'd you get in here?" Jason uttered in shock while he took several steps back from the sisters.

"Orbing's one of her powers," Phoebe explained. "She can go from one place to another. Sort of like beaming up on Star Trek' but without the technology."

Paige shrugged, "No frequent flier miles but it beats the traffic any day." She turned serious and told Phoebe, "Piper called and didn't say what was wrong but"

Phoebe nodded and asked Jason, "Will you be okay?"

"Sure," he replied in a dazed tone as he stared at her in a new light, "I think I need to be alone anyway."

Phoebe turned to her sister before she promised him, "I'll call you as soon as we settle whatever's going on back home."

"Home," he muttered. "Of course you're going home. You can just beam there in an instant."

"Jason, that's not fair. I'm only --" Phoebe began as she took a step toward him.

"Phoebe, duck!" Paige suddenly shouted as a fireball flew at them. She orbed to a stunned Jason's side while her sister levitated over the fireball. She watched it leave a scorched spot on the wall instead of a painting.

Phoebe leapt at the black-robed demon and attacked it with a well-placed kick. It staggered back and, as she prepared to strike again, she tried to sense something from it. But it was like trying to sense her sisters. "I'm getting nothing!" she informed her sister.

"Fireball!" Paige again warned.

Phoebe saw it in the demon's black claw and quickly tumbled out of its way. "Paige, behind you!" 

Paige immediately orbed with Jason to the other end of the room and watched as a second invader sliced its sword into the space she and Jason had just occupied. "Sword," she called and smiled when it immediately orbed into her hand. "Phoebe, catch!" she shouted.

Phoebe spun from her combatant and flipped over backward to her sister. She grabbed the sword and lunged at her demon and vanquished it with one swift stroke. 

"Look out!" Jason shouted. 

"Phoebe!" Paige screamed simultaneously.

As Phoebe spun around to attack the second demon, she felt the burning of a fireball as it hit her in the upper chest. She staggered back and stared at the demon in shock. For the first time, she noticed the tiny red points of light she presumed were its eyes. She tried to lunge at it but fell to her knees. "Get him out of here," she warned Paige as she picked up the sword in an attempt to stand, "I'll finish this. Go!"

But Paige ignored her sister and rushed to Phoebe's side. "Not without you. C'mon," she encouraged as she was about to help Phoebe stand, "we'll --" 

The demon suddenly growled, pointed its claw at Phoebe, and disappeared from the room as silently as it had entered.

"What the hell was that?" Jason uttered before he knelt by Phoebe's other side. "Are you okay?"

"I think so," she mumbled while she rubbed the spot where she was hit. She looked up at Paige, "Shouldn't I be a pile of ash right now?"

"Maybe it was a weak fireball," Paige suggested unconvincingly. "Let's go home and check the Book. Maybe Piper knows what's going on."

Phoebe held onto Jason as he helped her up and was hurt when he immediately stepped away. Swallowing her pain, she told him, "You'll have to come with us." He was about to protest so she insisted, "Just til we're sure it didn't come for you." 

He shook his head and stepped further away from them. "I've got back-to-back meetings all day."

"Jason, please," she desperately grabbed his hand, "I don't want anything to happen to you. Come with us."

*********** ********** ************


	3. part three

**__**

Part Three

"You sure you don't mind watching him?" Piper questioned Jason as she placed Wyatt in the playpen in her bedroom.

"I like kids," he quietly assured her while he continued to avoid Phoebe's gaze.

"We'll be upstairs in the attic," she reminded him. "I have a baby monitor with me so if you need anything, just call me from the one in here. Chances are he's gonna fall asleep soon so, if you wouldn't mind"

He nodded politely, "Sure, I'll move him to the crib. Don't worry, he'll be fine."

"What about you?" Phoebe pointedly asked from her spot in the doorway. She was doing her best to understand his growing distance from her but it hurt and she tried once more to talk to him. "Are you really okay? This can't be ea--"

Jason deliberately interrupted her and asked Piper, "You're all witches?"

"Just me and my sisters," she answered with a sympathetic glance to Phoebe. "Chris and Leo are Whitelighters." She saw his confusion and clarified, "A different sort of magical being. Like an angel. I know you need some time to absorb all this, just give us, give Phoebe, a chance. 

Jason merely nodded and turned back to Wyatt who was busy playing with the stuffed animals. He kept his back to the door until he was sure Phoebe and her sister had left. He then sat on the sofa and sighed, "What the hell have I gotten myself into?"

Wyatt stood up and teetered on his toes and reached out for Jason.

Jason accepted the small hand and heartily shook it. Wyatt suddenly plopped back into the pile of stuffed toys and Jason couldn't help but smile at the toddler's giggles. He was about to reach in and help Wyatt up when he realized, "You're probably one of them, too." Suddenly weary, he sank into the sofa's cushions, leaned back, and ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "Dammit, Phoebe," he softly swore, "you should've told me."

*********** ********** ************

"It'll be okay, Pheebs," Piper comforted her sister while Paige continued to flip through the pages of the Book of Shadows. "You were right, you couldn't permanently move there with him unless he knew the truth first."

"What have I done?" Phoebe shook her head. "You know, it's Andy all over again."

"Two different men," Piper disagreed. "Haven't you told me how amazingly open-minded Jason is?"

"And Andy wasn't?" Phoebe countered. "But it was too much for him, Piper, and it'll be too much for Jason too."

Piper placed her arm around Phoebe's shoulders and gave them a reassuring squeeze. "Jason needs some time but he'll accept this. You'll see."

"Accept magic and witches, maybe," Phoebe considered, "but accept a future with magic and me, maybe not."

Chris, who had been watching Phoebe from the moment she returned with Paige, approached. "You're sure you're not hurt? Paige said a fireball hit you."

She unconsciously, but gingerly, rubbed the spot and admitted, "Almost like a bad sunburn. I'll put some lotion on it as soon as we know more. Don't worry."

"I'd better heal you," Leo said as he stepped close to her, "because you'll need to be at full strength to deal with a Dark Starling."

"Dark Starling?" Phoebe wondered. "Sorry, I guess I wasn't paying attention before."

"It's okay, Pheebs," Piper gently told her, "we all understand. Chris came back to warn us about a possible attack by a Dark Starling."

"Dark Starling's thrive on the powers of magical beings," Leo explained. "They slowly absorb the victim's powers but don't actually ki--"

"So how do we prepare?" Phoebe interrupted. "The sooner we take care of this, the sooner I can get back toeverything else."

"It's too late," Paige quietly announced. When all eyes turned to her, she pointed to the page in the Book, "According to this, the demons that attacked us, that hurt Phoebe, were Dark Starlings." 

Leo quickly pushed apart Phoebe's blouse collar and couldn't stop himself from gasping. "Oh, Phoebe"

"What?" Piper fearfully asked. "What is it?"

"The star," he replied before he held his hands over the mark on her chest. But the golden healing glow didn't emit from them and he turned helplessly to Piper, "The damage's already been done."

"No, do something!" she pleaded. "There has to be something you can do."

In a choked voice, Paige said, "He can't, Piper. According to this, there's no vanquish and no cure."

"No cure," Phoebe nervously spoke up, "for what? What's going on?"

"Once you've been burned by Dark Starlings," Chris solemnly said, "you become theirs for life."

Still stunned, Piper couldn't move. She glanced at Phoebe and whispered, "Oh, God, no"

Phoebe gripped Piper's hand tightly in hers but Piper pulled her into a hug. She momentarily took comfort in her sister's arms before she pulled back and, in a tremulous voice, requested, "Leo, tell us again, everything you know"

*********** ********** ************


	4. part four

**__**

Part Four

With a thin blanket in hand, Piper stood on the back patio and simply watched her younger sister gaze at the first stars of the evening. Phoebe didn't seem to notice her presence and she waited a few moments before she cleared her throat. "It's too chilly to be out without a jacket."

"I'm okay," Phoebe quietly replied without turning around, "probably won't even have to worry bout being jet-lagged." She heard Piper about to speak and quickly asked, "Leo back from Hong Kong yet?"

"Without telling Jason," Piper nodded, "as you requested. But, Pheebs, I think you should talk to him. Jason needs to know the truth."

Phoebe snorted, "You don't think he heard enough truth for one day?" She faced her sister and recognized Piper's patient expression. "Jason barely had time to absorb my bombshell about being a witch and you want me to tell him this? If anything, this'd force him to stay with me out of guilt and I won't burden him with that. I'll come up with something to tell him when it's over. Maybe a letter or video clip."

Piper shook her head not wanting to even think about her sister's idea. "You love him and you need him. You know he'd cancel those meetings in a second if he knew what was going on. Please, let him be there for you while he..."

"While he still can?" Phoebe quietly completed her sister's thought. She turned from Piper and stared at the stars, "No, he doesn't need to go through this."

"Let him make that choice," Piper urged.

Phoebe faced her again, "I've thought about it and I'm going to ask Leo to take me Hong Kong for a few minutes. I'll use Grams's spell and make Jason forget everything about witches and magic. He deserves at least that much."

"Don't make any rash decisions. Give him a chance. Trust him to do the right thing." But Piper only received a silent shrug in response. "I know it's still hard for you to trust but Jason's a good man. Please, give him some time."

"The one thing we don't have," Phoebe commented with a slight shiver as she turned away again.

Piper couldn't think of anything to counter her sister's statement. She closed her eyes for a few seconds and, once she opened them, focused on a single star, and whispered to herself, "Starlight, starbright, first star I see tonight" Only her wish was more a prayer for a miracle and she blinked back the tears as she watched her sister again. She finally approached her sister who seemed to stiffen when she came near. Piper warily placed the blanket around Phoebe's shoulders and was relieved when Phoebe wrapped it tighter around herself. "Did you make a wish on the first star you saw?" she lightly asked.

"Why bother?" Phoebe shrugged, her back still to her sister. "I won't be around to see if it comes true."

"You're not dying so don't say things like that!" Piper snapped. 

"Same difference," Phoebe murmured.

Piper took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. In a calmer tone, she informed her sister, "Paige and I've already started on the potions. And Leo and Chris're still working on a way to bring the Dark Starling back."

"It won't matter," Phoebe argued, "because you all heard what Leo said. There's no way we can track it down and the Dark Starling has no reason to come back. Not until I've turned completely and then it's too late."

Piper grabbed her sister's shoulders and spun her around. "That won't happen, do you hear me? I won't let it!"

"You can't stop it," Phoebe responded in a defeated tone. She brought her sister's hand to the mark on her chest and pressed it to the large, pale, pink star. "I've been branded and nothing can change that."

"No, I won't --" Piper began.

"This star is going to become darker and darker," Phoebe quickly continued, "until it's completely black and, by then, I'll be gone. Everything about me that makes me, me, will have slipped away into nothingness."

"No, Phoebe" Piper cried.

"It's going to happen," Phoebe stated even as Piper pulled her into a tight embrace. "And, when it does, I'll be nothing more than a mindless slave to evil."

*********** ********** ************


	5. part five

**__**

Part Five

"Well," Paige impatiently asked Leo when he orbed into the attic, "what'd they want?"

"Nothing to do with the Dark Starling," he replied simply. He noticed several vials set in a row on the table in front of her. "They're all ready?"

"The vanquishing potion we concocted's still cooking in the kitchen and won't be ready for at least another hour." She pointed to a pink vial, "That's to remove any protective shields from the Dark Starling once it's here." She pointed to a green one, "That one, in addition to Piper's freeze, should immobilize it completely." She finally pointed to a blue potion, "And that one should weaken it long enough for the vanquishing potion to destroy it and save Phoebe."

"Theoretically," Leo murmured. He indicated to a slightly larger vial filled with an orange potion. "What's that one for?" When Paige cast a nervous glance to Chris, he turned to Chris, who was sitting on the sofa. "Well?"

"My idea," Chris admitted. "Something I'd only heard about back home and -- Doesn't matter, it should work."

Leo stared at Chris with renewed suspicion. Chris had proven himself on a number of recent occasions but was still much too secretive and the way Chris and Paige were acting about the potion led Leo to repeat his question, "What is it?" 

Paige uncomfortably answered, "Our last resort." She picked up the vial and lightly shook it. "If we can't destroy the Dark Starling, or we see that time's running out, Phoebe'll drink this and fall into a state of suspended animation. She'll stay that way until we're able to stop the transformation and then can release her from that state with this antidote." She picked up another vial of red liquid, held them both up to the light, and stared at them.

Leo wasn't happy with that scenario and took both vials from Paige and set them down. "The only way to stop the transformation is to kill the Dark Starling who marked her. You would be condemning Phoebe to an eternity in limbo."

"At least she wouldn't be evil!" Paige retorted.

"Not exactly how she put it," Chris commented when he remembered Phoebe's reaction to hearing of the potion.

"She'd rather us kill her," Paige reluctantly whispered.

Chris he placed his elbows on his knees, leaned forward, and boldly suggested, "Might be for the best." The words were barely out of his mouth when he received a fist to his jaw that sent him sprawling across the sofa. He rubbed his jaw and sat up, "It's what she wants, Paige. Do you want Phoebe to suffer?"

"She wouldn't suffer if she drank it in time," Leo interjected. He caught Paige's grateful expression but tempered it by adding, "Even if Phoebe won't realize she's doing evil, she knows now what she'll be like and we all know how she feels about being evil. But it's going to be next to impossible to kill that Dark Starling. Either way you're going to lose her."

She grabbed at his shirt, "No! We'll save her! We'll find a way. What'd they say?"

"I'm sorry, Paige," he shook his head as he hugged her, "but the Elders don't --"

"Dammit, Leo," Paige shouted again and broke free from his embrace, "you are the Elders! And this's Phoebe we're talking about! One of the Charmed Ones! I can't believe no one up there can come up with something. Or is it that they won't?"

"You know better, Paige," Leo patiently said. "You also know there isn't anything I wouldn't do for Phoebe or for you or for Piper and Wyatt. But there isn't anything that can be done." He warily hugged her again and rubbed her back when she wrapped her arms around his waist. He softly repeated the disappointing information he'd given them earlier, "The only way to save Phoebe is to kill the Dark Starling before the change is complete but the Dark Starling's impossible for us to track. No one's ever escaped after being marked. It's impossible."

"Maybe not," Chris finally spoke and rose from his seat. "Maybe there is a way after all."

"Why didn't you say so earlier?" Paige demanded as she quickly pulled away from Leo. "Or'd you wanna wait til the very last minute to play hero?"

Chris ignored her comment and questioned Leo, "The Dracken can track Dark Starlings, right?"

Leo nodded in confirmation but reminded him, "But only a demon can find a Dracken and I don't see any demons lining up to help us."

"Maybe we can call for a demon and force it to help," Paige considered with growing hope. "Bargaining with it might work. It's been done before." She caught Leo's skeptical look. "We've all worked with demons before, even Prue. Maybe we can come up with something."

"But she hated it," Leo disagreed, "and it was never her first option."

"It's not mine either," Paige insisted, "but, face it, Leo, we have no other choice."

"It's never a good idea to start working with demons," Leo sighed with frustration. "Too much can go wrong." 

"So it's better to do nothing?" she argued. "We can't. Not with Phoebe's life on the line." She stared intently at both, "I'm sure Piper and Phoebe'll both agree it's at least worth the try." Neither man spoke and, with a sense of relief, she placed both hands on her hips and asked, "So, what demon's our best shot?"

"Not what," Chris corrected as a plan continued to form in his mind, "but who."

*********** ********** ************


	6. part six

**__**

Part Six

"I hate this," Paige announced while she watched Chris draw a circle in chalk on the floor of their attic.

"You've said that," Piper rolled her eyes, "at least once very five minutes for the past twenty. Give it a rest, Paige."

Paige turned to her, "I can't believe you're okay with it!"

"I'm not okay with it!" she snapped. "But Chris's right. There's no one else powerful enough to help," she said before she corrected herself, "who'd want to help."

"Assuming this works," Leo murmured as he watched Chris set down six thick candles along the circle's edge. 

"But, it's not --" Paige began.

"But, nothing," Piper interrupted. "Don't forget, you were the one who insisted we had no other choice."

"That was before I knew which demon Chris had in mind," she grumbled.

"Are you sure you don't need Phoebe for the spell?" Leo asked Chris in an attempt to distract Paige.

Chris thought a moment before he shook his head. "She's best left to rest alone and take care of things." 

"Things?" Paige shrugged with frustration. "What could be more important than this?"

"Good-byes," Piper whispered with a glance to Leo who gave her a sad, sympathetic smile in return.

"Phoebe was still in shock when Chris told her his plan. I'm telling you," Paige shook her head, "Phoebe hates this idea and wants nothing to do with it and that's why she's not here now. We should be trying to find another way. Another demon. Any other demon."

"There's no other way," Leo disagreed and reminded her again, "you said so yourself."

"I hate this," Paige muttered even though she knew they were right. There was no other option.

"Besides," Leo quietly considered, "whether it's to save her or simply for closure, Phoebe needs this"

"Last chance," Piper murmured before she broke down in tears. She felt Leo's arms wrap around her and she clung to him, "This has to work! He has to help, Leo, he just has to"

"He will," Paige reluctantly admitted while she watched Chris light each candle. "Phoebe was always his one true weakness."

"Well, we're all about to find out," Chris said when he finally stood. "You ready with the spell?" The sisters nodded and he carefully stepped out of the circle. "Good luck, you'll need it."

Piper left Leo's safe embrace and joined Paige. She linked arms with her sister and, together, read from the paper Paige held.

__

"Our sister's fated to a mindless waste,

unless, of all the foes we have ever faced,

we can summon the one from a reality now erased. 

To save our sister with all undue haste,

we call the one we had once embraced,

and, once more, we pray our trust is not misplaced."

A white tornado suddenly swirled within the circle and the flames of the candles flickered before they blew out. Old books, magazines, and clutter flew across the room but Leo and Chris shielded their eyes and stood firmly in place. The sisters, arms still linked together, averted their faces from the wind but stood their ground. The wind finally died down and all stared at the lone figure standing before them in the circle.

"What the hell kind of vanquish was that?" he complained in surprise while he patted his chest and arms to make sure he was actually in one piece.

"Cole," Paige whispered as she took a step back.

"Welcome back," Piper warily greeted even as she copied her sister's instinctive reaction.

"How about that," he muttered to himself, "I finally made it to hell."

*********** ********** ************

Phoebe sat at her vanity and carefully licked the glue strip of the envelope in her hands. Once she sealed it, she turned it over, wrote Paige's name on it, and placed it on the pile of envelopes for her father, Jason, Leo, and Wyatt. She'd even written a brief note to Chris telling him to protect her family or she'd find some way to come back and kick his butt. It was time for Piper's letter, the one she'd deliberately saved for last.

She picked up her pen but found she was unable to write anything. Piper had always been there for her. They didn't always agree but Piper had tended to Phoebe, protected her, and loved her for her entire life. Piper wasn't just her sister but her best friend. How could she say goodbye? It seemed like just yesterday Piper had been devastated by Prue's death. How could a letter help Piper through the coming grief? Tell Piper that, no matter what she does, she'll always be there for Piper in spirit? Phoebe leaned back in her chair and knew she had to somehow get the words down. Time was running out and, if her sisters' spell worked, she'd have to join them and might not get another quiet moment to write.

The spell. She'd wanted no part in creating it. Insisted it was for fear of personal gain but knew that was simply an excuse for her sisters. For herself even. Alone in her room, staring at the pile of letters, she closed her eyes and almost allowed herself to face her true fears. Fear of success that the spell would actually work. Fear of his return and that, once again, he'd be brought back into their lives. Fear of her own reaction when she'd finally see him again.

With a sudden weariness, she dropped her pen and stood before she collapsed on her bed. She grabbed one of her pillows and hugged it tightly to her chest. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to banish him from her mind. "Cole"

Her eyes popped open and she stated aloud, "I love Jason." But, even as she said the words, an image of Cole flashed in her mind.

"It doesn't matter!" she uttered fiercely as she flung the pillow across the room. "It's over," she declared as she sat up. "It's over."

But images of him clouded her vision and she burst into fresh tears as her heart traitorously pounded with excitement. "Damn him," she whispered. She buried her face in her other pillow and sobbed, "And damn me for still loving him."

*********** ********** ************


	7. part seven

**__**

Part Seven

_They're staring_,' Cole realized. They were expecting him to make the first move but he had no intention of doing so until he figured out what the hell had just happened. One minute the Charmed Ones were sending him to hell and the nextOf course, he wasn't entirely convinced they hadn't succeeded. Maybe his punishment for a lifetime of evil was to be vanquished over and over again by those witches. He closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind. Even though he couldn't feel it, he grimaced as he recalled the pain of the flames engulfing him. Worse than that first vanquish when he'd been Source because, on that night, he'd been the one to spur Phoebe into acting. Not like now. Now, she had willingly, almost eagerly, thrown the potion at him. He'd taunted her but had truly expected her to be unable to go through with it. Her eyes told him the truth, though. They'd reflected back to him nothing but hate. From the moment he'd stepped through the front door of that manor, it had all been wrong. Nothing was how he'd intended it to be. The Avatar should've warned him. _No,_' he acknowledged with a sigh, _he did. He tried to stop me. It was me. I should've been more careful in creating that world. I first should've considered the possible consequences of a time lapse from my chosen point in time. Because of my recklessness, instead of loving me, Phoebe hated me and it doomed me._' 

"Hey, you gonna stand there all day?" Paige boldly called. His ignoring them was completely irritating.

Cole opened his eyes and gave them a weary grin. "The thought crossed my mind. Near-death experiences bring out my meditative side while, of course, death gives me all the time in the world."

"Well, not today, pal," Paige snapped. "We don't have -- Why're you staring at Piper like that?"

Cole blinked. He hadn't realized he was staring at Piper but suddenly figured out why. "What'd you do, have the baby last night at home?" She looked confused and he added, "Didn't know hospitals released new mothers that quickly."

"Of course not," she responded as she automatically looked down at her body before she stared back at him with annoyance, "Wyatt's nine months old."

"Not nice to play mind games with the nearly-vanquished," Cole muttered, "or is that completely-vanquished?"

"No game. You have been dead for almost a year," Paige declared a little too smugly.

"A year?" Cole tried to comprehend that nearly a year had passed since he last saw them. As far as he knew, he'd seen them just yesterday. Could they be lying? Setting him up for some other vanquish? Or was he truly dead after all? "I don't understand," he confessed.

"The world you created last January," Leo explained, "was replaced by the original reality as soon as you were vanquished. It's November now, almost Thanksgiving. Time's moved on in this world, ColeAnd so have the girls."

"Then how" Cole was at a loss for words. He felt alive. He could feel his heart pounding. But, if he'd indeed been vanquished, then how was he back here. And, more importantly, why.

"They cast a spell to bring you back," Chris interrupted, eager to move forward with the plan. "So now that it worked, can we all please move on?"

"Who the hell are you?" Cole suddenly barked.

"Their Whitelighter," Chris announced while he took a step toward the demon. 

Cole indicated to Leo, "They fire you or something?"

"Actually, I'm an Elder now," Leo stated, "but we don't have time to catch you up."

Chris didn't give Cole a chance to react. He quickly poked Cole's chest with his index finger and continued, "Bottom line, Turner, you're being given another chance and if you ever told them the truth about wanting to be good, you'd better prove it now." The look Cole gave him was all the warning he needed and he immediately lowered his hand back to his side.

As Chris stepped back, Cole demanded, "What the hell is going on?"

"Unfortunately, we need your help," Paige told him. 

"Now," Piper insisted.

They needed him. _How original,_' Cole nearly laughed out loud. "Being vanquished wasn't enough for you?"

Piper glared at him, "Look, we all know how we feel about each other so let's just get this over with."

_Well,_' Cole decided, _whether it's hell or not, I'll be damned if I'll make it easy on them._' He stared back at the sisters, shrugged, and asked, "Why?"

"Why what?" Piper uttered in surprise.

Cole tentatively stepped out of the circle and grinned when he realized he was still solid. "Why should I? If I help you, what's in it for me, aside from another vanquish?" He indicated to the multi-colored vials on the table, "Quite a supply you've got there. Am I just target practice until you get it right?"

"I knew this was a bad idea," Paige muttered. She glared at him, "Look, you're not our first choice. You're not even our fourth choice. But it seems you're the only one who might save --"

"Who?" he demanded. "I'm not doing a damn thing until you tell me what the hell's going on!" Whether they'd intended it or not, they'd saved him from the vanquish in that other world and the last thing he wanted was to be indebted to them for it.

"Cole," Phoebe whispered when she froze in the doorway as soon as she saw him.

Cole spun at the sound of her voice. "Phoebe." 

Time stood still for her. The spell had worked. He was there. Actually standing before her. And he looked as gorgeous as he did the last time she'd seen him, in spite of those circumstances. She had always loved him in black. Her heart was pounding and, unconsciously, her hand reached out for him. But, when she realized what she'd done, she quickly brought it back and covered her mouth in shock. 

Cole recognized the longing in her eyes. A look he hadn't seen in months. When he'd first come back, when she'd insisted their relationship was over, love and longing had still been reflected in her eyes. But, through the next few months, that love had been replaced by mistrust, anger, and even apathy. And, in that alternate world, it had finally become hate. Pure hatred. When Phoebe reached out to him, he took a step closer. But he stopped the moment she brought her hand to her mouth. He watched her. She was still beautiful and, in hell or not, he still loved her. He took another step toward her and softly said, "I like your hair."

She was about ready to cry. "Liar," she hoarsely replied. "You hate me with short hair."

"You might've warned me first but it didn't take me long to get used to it, remember?" he smiled before he remembered how much it bothered her to remember their life together. "I could never hate anything about you," he quietly, and seriously, assured her.

"Liar," she repeated as she nervously ran her fingers through the hair on the back of her head.

"Phoebe, I --" he began when he noticed the tip of a dark pink star peeking out from her shirt collar. Stunned, he reached for it, "Tell me that's not" 

She quickly stepped out of his reach, rubbed the mark, and nodded.

He spun back to the others, "How the hell did a Dark Starling get her? Who sent it? Don't you know there's no way to stop the transformation?"

"That's why you're here," Piper announced.

"Didn't you hear me?" he snapped. "There's no way to stop it. Not even I have that kind of power."

"Sure you do," Paige declared, "you're Super-Demon. You can do anything."

Cole laughed bitterly, "You may as well vanquish me now."

"You're refusing to help?" Piper asked incredulously.

"No," Phoebe quietly said. She hesitantly touched Cole's arm, "What is it?" He didn't answer and she added, "I can feel your fear. What's wrong?"

"I can't help you," he helplessly informed her. He focused on Paige and questioned, "Why didn't you have any powers in that world?"

Confused by the change in topic, she still answered, "In that world, I was already dead. Killed by the Source, no doubt." 

He ignored her glare and ordered, "Go on."

Paige glanced at Piper but continued, "Leo figured out that, because she wasn't there for me to take over her life, I didn't have her, my, powers." Realization suddenly hit her and she exclaimed, "Oh, my God!"

"What?" Piper asked in confusion.

"Cole no longer existed here," Paige turned to her but pointed at Cole, "but we brought him back so now he's powerless."

"Dammit!" Piper shouted as she blew up an old toy in frustration.

"That was unexpected," Chris murmured to himself.

"And a complete waste of time!" Paige glared at Chris. "I told you this was a bad idea."

"He was our only chance," Piper said with disappointment. She glanced at Phoebe who stood to the side, quietly watching Cole, and apologized, "I'm sorry, sweetie, but don't worry, we're not giving up. We'll get some other demon."

"No." Leo approached Cole and announced, "You're not powerlessI pulled a few strings and gave their spell an extra boost. You are now what you were in that other world."

"Belthazor," Paige realized. "Will it still work?"

"Will what still work?" Cole asked even as he began to familiarize himself once again with that missing part of himself. He wasn't thrilled to welcome back his evil half but, then again, it wasn't such a bad feeling either. For the first time in what seemed like ages, he felt whole.

"Complete," Phoebe whispered. His immediate glance of surprise to her made her realize she'd read his feelings again and, even worse, spoke aloud. Before she did anything, or said anything, to confuse herself even further, she quickly excused herself, "I should change into something more comfortable."

"Phoebe, wha--" Cole began, but she'd already run from the room. From him. "What's your plan?" he questioned the others when he turned back to face them.

"Can you find a Dracken?" Chris wondered.

"I've never done it before but I probably could," he honestly replied. At their disappointed expressions, he explained, "They're not exactly demon of choice among the upper levels and I always found other means to get the job done. But what's that got to do with -- a Dracken can track a Dark Starling!" He glanced from one face to another, "You don't know that it would work. It's too risky."

"We've got potions," Piper stated with a confidence she didn't completely feel.

"Potions won't help with a Dracken," Cole told her. "All right, this is the plan. We --"

"Already have a plan," Paige interrupted.

Cole glared at her and established control, "There'll be no arguments. You'll either work with me or stay the hell out of my way."

Piper placed a hand on Paige's arm to stop her sister from retorting and reminded Paige, "This's for Phoebe." She turned to Cole and nodded, "Agreed. What do you have in mind?"

*********** ********** ************


	8. part eight

**__**

Part Eight

"You are not going alone!" Paige exclaimed and looked to Piper for support.

"One of us will go with you," Piper emphatically agreed. She wasn't ready to put all her trust in him no matter how sincere he seemed about helping.

"The Whitelighters can't," Cole informed them, "and you both have to finish preparing as well as stay to protect Phoebe. If word gets out that she's vulnerableI'm going alone and that's all there is to it." 

"No," Phoebe quietly announced when she re-entered the room dressed in a casual, practical, outfit. "It's my life, my fate. I'm going with you, Cole."

"Your powers will be weakened down there," he reminded her. "And the Dracken will be unlike any other creature you've come across. I can't guarantee your safety." 

"Nevertheless," she told him, "I'm going."

She seemed drained but Cole admired her determination and nodded. "Then we'll need to protect you with a shield"

"What kind of shield?" Piper asked when Cole's voice trailed off.

"Maybe one of the amulets we've used in the past," Paige suggested as she knelt by an old trunk.

"No," Cole stopped her, "that won't work." He explained to Phoebe, "It has to be demonic to fool the Dracken. If the Dracken catches the slightest sniff of witch' about you, you won't have a second to even worry about turning evil, it'll all be over."

"Where are we gonna get something demonic?" Paige complained. "We don't have time to get a demon to attack and hope he drops an accessory."

Phoebe glanced around the attic. "What about the sword from this morning's attack? It belonged to one of the Dark Starlings."

Cole shook his head, "We'll need that to get the Dracken to track for us. The sword wouldn't be enough anyway. You have to be wearing the object so that you'll be enveloped in its demonic aura."

Phoebe thought for a moment before it occurred to her that she possessed the right item. "I'll be right back."

"Listen to me, Cole Turner," Paige sharply rebuked as soon as her sister was out of the room, "Phoebe's been to hell and back because of you but she's finally reached a good point in her life. Don't you dare ruin it for her!"

"I have no intention of doing anything of the sort," Cole indignantly replied. "I never did."

"Maybe not," Piper conceded, "but the fact remains that she was devastated by what happened because of you and it took her a long time to pull her life back together and move on."

"That's right," Paige nodded, "and she's even found someone new. She's in love and ready to move in with Ja--"

"Maybe now isn't the time," Leo quietly suggested.

"Now's exactly the time," Chris spoke up from his seat on the sofa. "This's gonna be one of the most dangerous situations they've ever experienced and," he stood, "they can't afford to be distracted by old resentments. They need to air it all out now so they can stay focused on the job."

"This isn't a job," Piper snapped, "it's Phoebe's life and you have no idea what she's been through."

"This isn't some minor resentment," Paige also argued. "He's," she pointed to Cole, "done things. Ruined lives."

"You don't seem so ruined to me," Cole muttered. "Still the same selfi--"

"Forget about the landlord you burnt to a crisp?" Paige interrupted. "A human?"

Cole dismissed her with a wave of his hand, "He was scum and bent on ruining Phoebe's life and yours in turn and I didn't hear of a single person missing him."

"What about that poor girl?" Paige stared intently at him. "Was she scum too? No, she was simply an innocent soul caught in your obsessive web to get Phoebe back." She watched the expression change in his face and knew she had struck a nerve.

"There are many things I've done that shame me," Cole quietly said. He had known better but couldn't stop himself from killing that driver. He had been so desperate to remind Phoebe of their love, of what life could be like for them. She might've been innocent but he needed her. At least, that's how he justified it at the time. He glanced at Paige and was suddenly annoyed by her smug look. "Unbelievable the way you stand there with your self-righteous attitudes. You think you were the only victims of the Source and his actions? Wake up and face reality, my life was destroyed by the Source. Everything I ever hoped for, dreamed about, was destroyed by him, and I won't let you or anyone el--"

"Destroyed? You?" Paige sputtered. "You were the Source! You brought all this on by yourself!"

"You turned our lives upside-down from the moment you introduced yourself to us," Piper added with growing frustration. "And you didn't even have the decency to do the right thing and stay dead when it finally played out. No, you had to come back as some souped-up indestructible demon who lost his mind."

"And you think I deserved that?" he snarled.

"You were a demon," Paige insisted. "Phoebe should've left well enough alone and vanquished you in that cemetery."

"Don't you dare," he ordered, "speak of anything you know nothing about. You don't know a damn thing about my, our, struggle. Phoebe and I loved each other and if you think that I ever wanted any of this to happen, you're crazier than I ever was." The sisters didn't say anything and he angrily spat, "That's it, isn't it? You think I wanted this, that it was all part of some master plan. I've got news for you, witches, falling in love with Phoebe was the single most positive thing that had ever happened in my life. And if you'd had just an ounce of understanding of what it was li--"

"An ounce?" Piper snapped. "I know exactly what it was like! I lived through every broken promise, every betrayal. Every time Phoebe pleaded with us to give you another chance. I can't believe I ever let you into my home. You brought an evil into our lives that haunts us to this day."

Unconsciously, Cole formed an energy ball in his hand, "I became the Source as a consequence of saving your lives and you still have the gall to stand there and tell me --"

"Enough!" Phoebe shouted from the doorway. She glared at her sisters and Cole, who let the energy ball dissipate, and continued, "I've got enough to worry about right now without watching the three of you go at it. I swear I won't be caught in the middle again. I've had enough of"

Cole shimmered to her side the instant Phoebe's knees began to buckle and caught her as she collapsed. He carefully lowered her to the floor and watched in concern as she brought a hand to her chest and took several quick shallow breaths. "Close your eyes," he encouraged, "and breathe in and out, nice and slow." He glanced to Leo who rushed over, "Can you do anything?"

Leo brought his hands over the deep pink star, closed his eyes, and used his power to ease Phoebe's breathing.

"Is it darker than it was before?" Piper asked Paige in a worried tone.

After a few moments, Leo told them, "It's all I can do." Phoebe stirred and he stepped back to allow Cole to help her up. "I don't think it's a good idea for you to go," Leo advised her. "You don't know what's in store down there and expending too much energy might cause the transformation to happen faster."

Phoebe shook her head, "I'm not gonna sit around and let this happen to me without a fight."

"What if something goes wrong?" Piper wondered. "You could get hurt or"

Phoebe gently acknowledged her sister's fear, "It's going to happen, Piper. One way or another." She looked up at Cole, "I'm ready."

"The shield" he reminded her even as he kept a steadying hand on her shoulder.

She reached into the pocket of her yoga pants and hesitantly showed him the ring. "It was part of a demonic ceremony wasn't it?"

Cole stared at the gold band and quietly revealed, "But not a necessary one."

"Then why?" she asked as she glanced from the ring to his face. As hard as it was to gaze at them, his eyes always told her the truth. _When you wanted to see_,' her conscience scolded.

He shrugged, "As a token of my love for you." He took the ring from her fingers, "Isn't that part of the standard tradition?" 

After everything she'd been through, she'd tried to cling to whatever good moments she could find and she was grateful to know that at least a small part of her wedding had been pure. "Thank you," she whispered in a choked voice.

"It should still work, though," he sadly realized. "In spite of the intent behind my giving it to you, you're right, it was part of something dark and evil." The thought of it having been part of an evil act caused him to clench the ring in his fingers. A wave of shame for having allowed it to happen flowed through him in spite of the fact that he alone knew how hard he had struggled against the evil. He caught Phoebe's intense expression of sadness and realized that, perhaps, he wasn't as alone as he believed. Still, it wasn't the time to bring up the past, saving Phoebe was his priority. He stared at the ring, murmured a spell in ancient Latin, and returned it to her. "An extra precaution, just in case," he explained and tried to hide his disappointment when she placed it on the ring finger of her right hand.

Phoebe fingered the ring but she couldn't shake the overwhelming sense of sadness she felt. Cole's surely but how much of it was hers? _It's been so long since I've seen it,_' she thought with a shake of her head, _and now it's on the wrong finger. But it wouldn't be right, wouldn't feel right, to put it where it_' She glanced at Cole and fought every instinct to run from the room.

In spite of how he felt, he honestly assured her, "It's okay, all things considered, it wouldn't be appropriate." 

"Phoebe," Paige called out, "you okay?"

Startled, Phoebe turned to her sister, "YeahWe'd better get going." She approached both sisters and opened her arms for them. She took comfort in their embrace and then hugged each sister individually. "I love you both so much," she declared, "and we'll get through this."

Piper immediately hugged her younger sister again. "I love you," she whispered fiercely in Phoebe's ear. "You'd better come back to me."

Phoebe pulled back and gently wiped away her sister's tears. "You bet," she promised. She stepped away, picked up the Dark Starling's sword, and stood next to Cole. "I'm ready."

He held out his hand to her and awkwardly told her, "You gotta hold it."

Piper watched her sister accept Cole's hand and give it a slight squeeze. Cole flashed her a smug look of his own and, as he shimmered out, hand-in-hand, with her sister, she muttered, "This already sucks."

*********** ********** ************


	9. part nine

**__**

Part Nine

Paige impatiently stirred the potion. Richard hadn't had any suggestions for dealing with a Dark Starling and she had turned down his offer of coming over. She didn't want him in the line of fire even if he was a witch. It was the waiting around for something to happen that was driving her mad. And it was the urge to do something, anything, that led her to, "The perfect solution." With Chris in the attic and Piper with Wyatt, no one realized she'd even left. As the potion bubbled, she murmured, "Now for the little bit of Belthazor flesh." A puff of smoke erupted from the boiling potion almost as soon as she dropped the chunk into it and she stepped back. "Perfect," she smiled smugly as she stirred it again.

"Where the hell'd you get that? Did you go down there and attack him?" Chris accused.

Paige gasped from his sudden appearance, "Of course not." She continued to stir the potion and explained, "Piper once told me how she and Prue kept the piece of flesh in the freezer so I merely cast a spell to go back in time. I cut off a little bit and, voila, one Belthazor Vanquish." She noticed his frown and assured him, "Don't worry, I was there and back before anyone in either time realized it. And the piece I left is still big enough that history won't be changed."

"Why would you risk everything to pull a stunt like that?" he demanded.

"Insurance," she replied through clenched teeth. "Sure, your plan might work. Cole might help save Phoebe. But then what? You think he's gonna thank us for bringing him back and just walk away? Let me tell you what's gonna happen, he's gonna start all over again trying to convince Phoebe that they belong together. And, in his obsession to get her back, he'll come between her and Jason and will make our lives a living hell while Piper and I try to keep this family together."

"Oh, give it a rest already!" Chris threw up his hands in frustration, "You and Piper with your whining about how terrible you had it. You've got no idea what living in hell is like and you certainly have no idea how good you had it while Cole was on your side."

"On our side?" she sputtered. "He became leader of the other side!"

"Only after a year and a half of struggling to be good," he pointed out. "What about all the good he did, Paige? His knowledge and actions helped the Charmed Ones time and again."

"Doesn't come close to making up for all the evil," Paige glared at him, "and why are you defending him? What are you up to? What is he to you?"

"He's our salvation against the Dark Starling," Chris stated. "If Phoebe turns, the Power of Three is gone, Paige. As in forever. And then you and Piper won't have the combined strength to save Wyatt from the comingfrom evil."

"What evil?" she asked in a worried tone while she turned off the flame.

"Now's not the time," Chris shook his head, unwilling to reveal the future. "Let's see what happens to Phoebe first."

"Do you really think Cole can help?" she wondered.

"I hope so," he quietly answered. "Still," he stared intently at her, "if he does, will it have finally earned him forgiveness or just another vanquish?" 

Paige didn't answer and, instead, gazed into the vanquishing potion. When she looked up, Chris was already gone. She carefully poured the hot liquid into a green glass vial and began cleaning up her work area. At least Piper would understand her reasoning. Better to be safe with the potion than sorry later on.

She checked on the vanquishing potion for the Dark Starling and turned that flame a bit lower. It was almost ready. She glanced back at the green vial and sighed. What would they owe Cole once it was over? "One more potion," she decided as she placed an empty pot on one of the burners, "just in case." 

*********** ********** ************

From the center of the bedroom, Leo watched Piper hover by Wyatt's crib. "Let him sleep," he quietly suggested.

She nodded but couldn't resist the urge to brush her fingers through her son's soft hair. "He's a miracle," she murmured, "a blessed miracle, more powerful than anyone expected. Even if he doesn't understand all the words, maybe we can help him under--"

"No," he gently interrupted. "Honey, there isn't anything anyone can do right now, not even Wyatt. It's all up to Phoebe and Cole."

Piper turned to him with tears in her eyes. "If I ask you something, do you promise to give me an honest answer?"

"I've never lied to you," he replied, unsure if he should feel insulted.

She apologized as she approached him, "I didn't mean it like thatI don't want you to try and protect me from the truth no matter how much you think it'll hurt me. Okay?" He nodded and she took a deep breath before she asked, "Is Phoebe going to die?"

"I can't see the future," he shrugged helplessly before he turned away from her.

"Leo, you're an Elder" she warned. "You've got to have some idea."

He faced her again and sighed, "If there's anything you and your sisters have learned about timelines it's that the future is always changing. I don't have an answer for you, Piper. An hour ago, I'd've said yes, Phoebe will die, at least the Phoebe as you know her."

"But now?" she asked hopefully.

"Bringing back Cole was unexpected," he admitted, "and will have consequences."

"It has to work," Piper cried, "it has to!"

Leo quickly wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. "Get some rest, Piper, now, while it's quiet."

She shook her head and tried not to feel comforted by his warmth. "I need to get --"

"No," he interrupted as he nudged her to the bed, "you need to rest. Paige is finishing up in the kitchen and Chris is checking the Book again. I'll keep an eye on Wyatt."

"But only for a few minutes," she agreed while she sat on the bed. "Don't let me fall asleep." Leo nodded, turned to leave, and she stopped him, "Leo? Do you thinkdo you think she's okay?"

"It's not painful, if that's what you're asking," he answered as he stepped closer. "From what I understand, whenever the Dark Starling deliberately taps into the victim's powers, the victim has an episode similar to the one Phoebe had in the attic. The episodes will occur more often and last longer until the victim is completely drained and falls into a coma-like state until the Dark Starling is ready to activate its new minion."

Piper couldn't stop her tears as she pictured her sister's fate and she reached for a tissue from her nightstand. "What about now? With Cole, I mean?"

Leo remembered his promise to her and frowned. "I think she'll do whatever she has to in order to increase her chances of survival."

"Tactfully put," she told him. "Now the truth and you know what I mean."

"I told you before," he honestly replied, "Phoebe needs closure. She never really came to terms with what happened to her, to them, by the time she confronted him in the basement. Whatever happened down there was only a temporary fix."

"She's moved on, though," Piper insisted, "with Jason."

"Jason isn't Cole," he reminded her as he sat down next to her. "Her love for Jason may be real but that doesn't mean she still doesn't --"

"Love Cole," she softly interrupted. She gazed into his eyes, "But that doesn't mean she'll go back to him."

"No, it doesn't," he agreed, "but keep in mind that whatever happens between them is between them. What she said before about being put in the middle"

"I know," she nodded contritely, "it's terrible of us to do that to her and we don't mean to." She wiped away a tear from her cheek, "But we don't want her to get hurt and he only causes her pain."

"You sure you're talking about her pain," he gently asked, "or yours?"

She hung her head and toyed with her crumpled tissue. "We lost so much because of his involvement in our lives, including Prue. We were all hurt so badly. And the way it endedI can't help thinking that"

"What?" he encouraged. But Piper wouldn't continue so he tilted her chin towards him, "What?"

She sniffled and finally admitted, "With all his powers before heDid you ever think that maybe he could've helped prevent what happened? To us, you, I mean? That maybe, if he had been here, you wouldn't've become an Elder and we would still be together?" To her surprise, Leo burst out laughing and she angrily asked, "What's so funny about that?"

"I'm sorry," he chuckled, "but if you only knew how that sounded." She didn't look amused and he sobered quickly. "Piper, you've just finished damning him for getting involved in your life in the first place and now you're damning him for not being there?"

"But he --" she began.

"Never claimed to be an angel," he pointed out. "Just as you and your sisters at times struggle to do the right thing, Cole has that same struggle. Made worse by the very nature that he is part-demon. He fought for control when he was Belthazor and I'm sure he fought for it when he was the Source. He wasn't always responsible for his actions, Piper, a fact I think you and your sisters keep ignoring."

"Suddenly Cole's got an Elders fanclub?" she muttered.

"I'm not his fan," he argued, "but I can look at him, and his presence in your lives, with a little more objectivity than you or your sisters. Being an Elder has given me insight into the larger picture and I wish you could --"

"You were just happy to have another male opinion around the house," she snapped, "even if it was demonic."

"That too," he grinned. He placed his hands on her shoulders, "Piper, you've experienced some major upheavals in your life, especially in the past year, and I am truly sorry for my part in it. But you're going to have to tap into some of your strength and get past this business with Cole. Harboring the pain and resentment will only hurt you in the long run. It's time for you, and your sisters, to let it go. Truly let it go."

"Spoken like an Elder," she accused even though she knew he only meant well. "It's not easy, Leo," she sighed. "You were there, how many times did we try with him? How many times did it blow up in our faces?"

"It wasn't always his fault," he reminded her.

"It wasn't always ours either," she complained. 

"Let it go," Leo quietly advised.

"Maybe Paige and I haven't dealt with everything," she conceded, "because there was no need to once Cole was gone. And I guess I'm just afraid that he won't simply walk away this time and we'll go through all that madness again."

"You have to be careful with what you say and do," he cautioned, "or you'll be the one hurting Phoebe. Let her deal with Cole in her own way and just be there to support her decisions."

In spite of her fear that Phoebe's decision would mean getting back with Cole, Piper slowly nodded in agreement. "Not all of this past year was that bad, though," she said with a shy smile. She nodded to the nursery and told him, "You were part of some of the best of it."

"Thank you," he smiled. After an awkward pause, he suggested, "Now, lie down and get some rest. I'll be right here in case anything happens."

*********** ********** ************


	10. part ten

**__**

Part Ten

Despite the sword strapped to her back, Phoebe caught up to Cole fairly quickly. "Cole, I need you. You're the only one who can do it."

"I will not kill you," he practically shouted as he spun to face her, "and don't you ever ask that of me again!"

"Cole, please," she entreated, "my sisters can't, Leo certainly won't, and I'm not sure that Chris has it in him either."

"And you think I do?" he growled indignantly before he stalked away.

She grabbed his arm and stopped him, "All you'd have to do is let Belthazor in for just a moment. He'll take care of it in an instant and then you can turn back."

"Do you have any idea what you're asking?" he snapped.

"Yes," Phoebe replied as she looked down at her feet, "I know exactly what I'm asking and I'm sorry but I don't have any other choice." She brought her chin up and declared, "I'm not afraid, Cole." 

"Well maybe I am!" he shouted. "Listen," he assured her in a calmer tone, "we're going to find a Dracken to track the Dark Starling and then we'll destroy it. You'll be free so stop worrying about what might happen."

"I have to be prepared," she reasoned. "I don't want to be responsible for doing evil."

"You won't be," he reminded her. "As a minion, you'd simply be following orders without any conscious thought of your own."

"We're all responsible for our actions," she whispered, "whether they're consciously done or not."

Strangely enough, Cole didn't feel insulted by that dig. He knew she was terrified of the fate awaiting her if they didn't succeed but he still shook his head and apologized, "I can't help you." 

"I'm begging you, Cole," she tearfully implored, "if I ever meant anything to you, if you ever truly loved me, then you'll help me now."

"And if you ever truly loved me," he countered, "you wouldn't ask this of me."

"Promise me you'll do this," she urged. "I won't let my sisters interfere and I swear there'll be no consequences."

"For you perhaps," he softly said. "What about those of us left to mourn?"

"Better to mourn me," she retorted, "than be forced to vanquish me!"

In that moment, Cole knew exactly what she had gone through. "I'm sorry," he sincerely apologized once again, "I never meant to put you through that, to force you into it."

"I don't want an apology," she sharply stated, "I want an answer."

He reached out and caressed her cheek, relieved when she didn't pull away. "I will do as you ask," he quietly promised. "If the time comes, I won't let you turn."

Phoebe exhaled in relief and smiled gratefully, "Thank you."

But Cole couldn't reconcile himself with what he'd just promised and abruptly ordered, "Come on, we're not there yet."

*********** ********** ************

The cavern they'd just turned into was deserted and Cole was relieved. They'd already run into two separate crowds of demons and managed to fool all into believing Phoebe was a fellow bounty hunter. But he had a terrible feeling that their luck was going to run out soon. Other than during those confrontations, he and Phoebe walked side-by-side in silence. With a glance to the underground stream to his left, he cleared his throat and commented, "You've changed."

Startled from her thoughts, Phoebe looked at him before she turned her eyes back to the path ahead of them. "I had to," she replied thoughtfully. "I had to find some way to move on."

He chuckled unexpectedly, "I expected a slap to the face or worse when you first saw me in the attic."

"I can make up for that if you'd prefer," she teased.

"That's okay," he chuckled again, pleased things seem to have changed between them for the better. At least they had moved in the right direction. "I guess I also expected you to be bitching the entire time we're down here, incessantly reminding me of how I hurt you and ruined your life."

She kept her eyes on the path and quipped, "Nothing like becoming a mindless slave to evil to keep it all in perspective."

"Too bad your sisters don't share the same opinion," he warily mentioned. "Maybe you could give them some lessons in letting go of the past."

"I never said I let it go," she murmured. With a sigh, she added, "But I suppose I was able to bury it for a while. My sisters, well, I guess they've still got their own issues to deal with."

"I'll say," he griped.

She glared at him and chided, "They're scared, Cole. You of all people know what it was like after Prue died. Do you really wish them the same pain now?"

"I never wished any of your sisters any pain," he quietly said.

"Nevertheless," she responded in a softer tone, "you did cause it, whether you intended it or not." When he didn't comment, she stopped walking, and timidly asked, "Can I ask you a question?" 

He gazed at her a moment before he replied, "Only if I can ask you one in return."

"Agreed," she nodded. "Why'd youI mean, why"

Even though he was reasonably sure what she was about to ask, he realized she needed to ask the question as much as she needed to hear the answer. "Why'd I what?"

With sudden determination, she looked him straight in the eyes and asked, "Why'd you do it? Pick that point in time and create a new reality? Did you really think we could be evil together? Why couldn't you leave well enough alone?"

"That's more than one question," he teased.

"I'll owe you," she smirked. "I want an answer," she added in a serious tone. "I need tounderstand, I guess."

He glanced at the bubbling stream and muttered, "No, definitely not frozen over." He walked to the edge of the path, nearest the water, and informed her, "I didn't deliberately plan on us being evil, not after that disaster with the Nexus, but it was an unexpected consequence. I thought if I established a new time after Prue died, but before Paige entered your lives, when we'd been our strongest, we'd still be happy. That's all I wanted. A world where we were happy."

Phoebe considered his explanation. "Paige told us what it was like. What went wrong?"

"I'm not sure," he sighed. "I suppose I hadn't anticipated that there'd be a time lapse from the time I chose. If I had known"

"Maybe it was another sign," she sadly suggested, "that we weren't meant to be."

"I won't believe that!" he spun toward her. "I can't"

"You have to let go," she softly spoke as she approached him and hesitantly took his hands in hers. "Don't be afraid of it, Cole, it's all right."

"If I do," he whispered, "there'll be nothing left of me."

"That's not true," she shook her head. "I know you're scared, I was too, but you have to move on."

"You were my safety net, Phoebe," he exclaimed, "my reason for being good. Without youwell, look how quickly I screwed things up after you told me it was over."

"You always had it within you to be good," she calmly insisted. "You only needed to believe in it yourself."

"I was lost without you," he argued. 

She shook her head with tears in her eyes, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry"

Surprised, Cole pulled away, "For what? I'm the one who's caused all the pain."

"No," she finally acknowledged, "I caused much of it myself. You have to understand, Cole, I was so hurt, so angry, so filled with bitternessI needed to hold on to it or I'd've truly fallen apart and never found my way back."

"Oh, baby," he murmured while he wrapped his arms around her, "I never meant to scare you or hurt you."

"I know," Phoebe mumbled into his chest, "I can feel it. But it was a nightmare that I almost couldn't handle. I didn't want to blame you but I did, I needed to, and then, when I needed space from you and everything"

"I couldn't give it," he admitted, "because I was afraid that giving it would mean giving up and I couldn't do that."

"I loved you," she sobbed, "I never wanted to lose you. God, I loved you so much. I love you"

Cole wasn't sure she even realized what she'd said. "Phoebe, I" He quickly supported her and he lowered her to the ground when, overcome by emotion, she suddenly sagged in his embrace. "I love you, too," he whispered while he gently rocked her in his arms.

After a few moments, once she was calmer, Phoebe suddenly felt as if a great weight had been lifted from within her. She carefully disentangled herself from him and wiped her eyes. "For what it's worth," she confessed, "it wasn't all pain and misery. Some of the happiest times of my life were spent with you."

Surprised by that admission, Cole simply said, "Thank you." He kept his gaze on her for a moment before he got to his feet and reached out a hand to her. When she accepted it, he helped her stand but he frowned when he noticed the tip of the star on her chest had turned a deep red.

She followed his gaze and softly said, "Leo said the added stress might cause the transformation to happen faster." She reached for his hand and squeezed it tightly, "But I didn't come all this way to give up now. Let's go."

"That's my girl," he murmured as he led her down the path.

*********** ********** ************ 


	11. part eleven

**__**

Part Eleven

A short while later, after conversation seemed to be flowing easier between them, Phoebe revealed, "I learned so much during my time with you. About my craft, my career, and about myself and what I wanted out of life, out of love."

"And you think you've found it now with this guy in your life?" he uncomfortably asked.

She stared at him in surprise, "How'd you -- My sisters told you."

Cole nodded, "While they were warning me to stay away from you and demanding that I don't ruin your life."

"I'm sorry," she winced. "They shouldn't've said anything."

"Would you have?" he challenged as they continued to walk through a dimly lit cavern.

"If it came up," she admitted before she indicated to a pair of menacing-looking shadows that were moving across the wall to their right.

"Just keep walking," he advised in a low tone. Once they passed the danger, he asked, "So, what's he like?"

"Cole, I --" she began.

"You owe me several answers," he reminded her.

"But you don't really want to know that" One look to his face confirmed for her that he did want to know. But, feeling uncomfortable discussing Jason with him, and partly out of a desire not to hurt him any further, Phoebe chose a simple answer. "He's a successful businessman with a hand in many different venues."

"How'd you meet?" he questioned in spite of himself.

She sighed but replied, "He owns the paper and took an interest in my column. It wasn't long before he wanted to take a more personal interest in me and, after a while, I let him."

Cole stopped walking and seriously wondered, "Does he make you happy?"

"How about those Forty-Niners?" Phoebe nervously chuckled while she walked past him.

But Cole remained standing in his spot. "Answer me, Phoebe," he quietly ordered.

"Yes," she softly replied without turning around, "he does." She heard his sharp intake of breath and faced him. She couldn't mistake the pain reflected in his eyes and she whispered, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he assured her as he started walking again. "In some warped way, I'm actually glad you've found someone."

Phoebe placed a hand on his arm to stop him. "Are you sure?"

"All I ever wanted, Phoebe, was for you to be happy," he sadly commented before he strode ahead.

*********** ********** ************

Leo rushed to the bed the instant Piper sat up with a start. He tried to calm her while she glanced wildly about the room, holding her hand over her heart. "It's okay, Piper, it was just a dream."

"Phoebe," she uttered. Her heart was pounding so badly she thought it was going to burst from her chest. It took her a moment to realize that Leo was talking to her. She tried to move but he kept her firmly in place, "Leo, I have to find her."

He pushed some of her loose but matted hair back behind her shoulder and spoke in a calming tone, "She's okay, Piper. You had a nightmare, that's all."

"A nightmare," she repeated to herself. She glanced at him before she looked down at her trembling hands. "But it was so real."

Leo reached for her hands and held them securely between his own. "But it wasn't, it was only a dream."

"But what if it comes true?" she nervously asked.

He smiled patiently, "Phoebe's the one with premonitions, remember?"

"I'm serious," she replied in a quiet tone. "It was Cole," she recalled with a shiver. "He lost it when Phoebe wouldn't take him back. He kept harassing her and, when she was standing at the altar ready to marry Jason, he killed Jason right there in front of her."

"It was only a dream," he reminded her. "Cole would never do anything like that to Phoebe."

"You don't know that," she cried. "Demons can't love, that's a fact, no matter what Cole says. We brought him back from the edge of madness. What if it's her happiness with Jason that sends him back over permanently?"

"Cole's not an ordinary demon," Leo quietly said as he pulled Piper into his arms. He stroked her hair and assured her, "Cole can love. You've seen it and you believe it." He felt her shake her head and he insisted, "You do, Piper, and that's why his betrayal hurt you so much. Because you saw his love for your sister and even felt him care for yourself. And you cared for him in return but he let you down."

"He tried to kill me," she snapped when she suddenly pushed herself back, "tried to kill Wyatt before he was even born!"

Leo shook his head, "If Cole had truly wanted that, you'd both be gone. I'm not condoning his actions, Piper, merely letting you know, there was always more to Cole than you were willing to accept. And one thing is certain, he would never deliberately hurt Phoebe."

"He killed her!" Piper raged. "After she watched in shock as he killed Jason, after he killed everyone in the church's pews, after he killed Paige, after he killed your son," she spat, "he twisted her neck like a rag doll and threw her body at my feet. All because he couldn't accept her rejection of him one more time."

"It was only a dream," he repeated in a slightly less convincing tone.

But Piper, haunted by her recent memory, didn't hear him and continued in a dazed tone, "The look on his face, in his eyes. Evil. Pure evil. And I knew he had just become the Source again. I looked around me at the bodies of my entire family, everyone I ever loved, and I asked him to kill me. I begged him to kill me. But he just laughed in my face. He knew leaving me alone would be the worst possible punishment. Taking them from me and leaving me all alone."

Leo pulled her back into his arms and held her while she cried. He whispered to her words of comfort, stroked her hair and her back, and patiently waited for her to calm enough to talk to her. He suddenly heard her mumbling and pulled back slightly in order for her to repeat her words.

She couldn't look him in the eyes and shook her head, "This plan's gonna backfire, Leo. Even if we save Phoebe, he's only gonna kill her later when he can't have her back."

"Have faith," he softly advised as he tilted her chin up slightly. "Whatever they've been through, there's still love between them. Perhaps now things will be different."

Her eyes narrowed. "That sounds like you know something," she accused. 

He chuckled, "Let's just say I've been keeping something of an eye on Phoebe."

"How?" she wondered suspiciously. "You can't sense us when we're down there."

"True," he winked, "if I was still a Whitelighter." He chuckled when her mouth dropped open in surprise. "Look, all I know is that there's an aura of peacefulness about her which hasn't been present in a long time."

"That isn't true," she insisted. "She's in love with Jason and doing so successfully in her job. Phoebe's been so incredibly happy and at peace." 

"Jason does make Phoebe happy," Leo agreed, "but he also makes her confused and unsure. Right now, though, she's completely at ease which, considering all the danger she's in, should tell you something about her time with Cole."

Piper impulsively hugged Leo tightly. "I don't want to lose her," she whispered.

"And that's the real fear behind your nightmare, isn't it?" he quietly probed. "It's not Cole and his return because you know, deep down, that if it comes to it, you can fight him and win." Piper merely clung to him tighter and he continued, "Your greater fear is losing Phoebe. And not just losing her to death like Prue. You're more afraid of losing her to evil."

"How many times can she beat the odds?" Piper whispered into his shoulder. "How many times have we protected her from her past, changed her future? What if this is what's meant to happen?"

"Have faith," he encouraged her again. 

"Easy for you to say," Piper cried, "when it's not your sister's life at stake!"

"Not fair," Leo gently rebuked even as he continued to hold her. 

"I'm sorry," she cried harder and buried her face in his chest, "I'm sorry. I'm so scared"

"We are doing everything possible to make sure Phoebe stays safe," he promised. He kissed her forehead and had begun to move away when Piper suddenly grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him back for a passionate kiss. He broke free and stared at her in confusion, "What're you doing?"

Surprised herself by her instinctive reaction, Piper didn't answer and kissed him again instead. She kept her hold on him and then breathlessly told him, "I need you, Leo. I need you to make me feel safe again. You're the only one who can make me feel so loved and safe."

He caressed her cheek and, in a choked voice, assured her, "You are safeand loved."

"Please, Leo," she quietly urged while she undid the top button of his shirt, "I miss you. I need you. I need to feel your arms around me, to hear you whisper my name"

Leo tried to pull away but, looking at Piper, feeling her, breathing her, was too much for him to bear. And, as he pushed her back into the pillows, he murmured, "I've missed you, Piper, so much."

*********** ********** ************

Cole stole a glance at Phoebe while she walked quietly next to him. She had been right earlier. He didn't want to know about some new man in her life. But he also hadn't lied when he said he was happy for her. _Damned if I'm not more confused now than when I appeared in the attic._' And now, after this revelation, he had no idea what to say to her. The last thing he wanted to know about was her plan for the future. _Because I still want her back and I don't see how that's ever going to happen now._' He glanced at her again but was spared from further contemplation when they came upon an intersection. He looked to the right and then left and noticed four demons approaching. "Stop," he whispered harshly as he held an arm out in front of her to prevent her from walking.

Phoebe nervously peered around Cole and caught sight of four dark figures with cloaks flowing around them. She slowly pulled the sword from its strap on her back and gripped it in front of her. Unconsciously, she took a step closer in Cole's protective stance and inhaled sharply when she actually saw the horrific faces of the creatures.

"Easy," Cole whispered, "they're just Uglands and won't attack unless provoked. Stay still, don't make a sound, and they'll pass us without a problem."

Phoebe nearly sagged against him in relief when, as he had predicted, the foursome merely glanced in their direction and silently walked past them. While Cole carefully led the way down that left passage, she replaced the sword in its hilt. "We're almost there," she called out to him, "aren't we? That's why you're so much more tense now."

"How do you do that?" he exclaimed in frustration as he spun back to her.

Surprised by the outburst, she asked in return, "Do what?"

"No games," he demanded as he strode back to her. "I want to know."

"All right," she nervously agreed before her own frustration grew. "Why don't you make yourself a bit more clear so I know exactly what the hell you're talking about?"

"Fine," he gritted his teeth while he towered over her. "How the hell do you know exactly what I'm feeling? From the moment you saw me in the attic, you've been telling me exactly what I'm feeling and you've been right every single damn time. Are you reading my mind?"

"If I could do that, that would've saved us a lot of pain," she angrily retorted, "now wouldn't it?" She ignored his protest, pushed him back, and stalked past him.

Cole cursed himself for losing his cool with her. She was under enough pressure and didn't need to deal with his frustrations too. Unfortunately, it seemed that they were back to a nasty square one. Then he remembered that her life was on the line and that took precedence over either one's hurt feelings. "I'm sorry," he apologized when he caught up to her, "I didn't mean to accuse you of anything. But I've never found telepathic creatures a pleasure to deal with and this has been more than a bit unnerving."

"How do you think I felt when it first happened?" she snapped. She was mentally kicking herself even as the words were coming out of her mouth. It wasn't Cole's fault. She knew he was still reeling from her brief conversation about Jason and he had no idea about her new power. So, in a calmer tone, she informed him of her latest power advancement.

"Prue couldn't handle becoming an Empath," he recalled while they continued to walk. "How're you dealing with it?"

"Well, I left the basement," she murmured to herself. He chuckled sympathetically and she glared at him. "I drove my sisters crazy until they drank from a potion to block my power. And forget about the general public, I thought I'd end up in jail if I didn't learn to control it. And as you can see, when I'm distracted, I still can't."

Cole cast her an amused glance. "I distract you?"

"Like no one else," she grumbled before she caught his expression from the corner of her eye. "That wasn't a compliment!" she snapped again and stormed off.

He chuckled heartily to himself and let Phoebe walk off some steam before he rejoined her.

*********** ********** ************


	12. part twelve

**__**

Part Twelve

"I felt it, you know," Phoebe quietly announced after they'd walked for a bit in silence. The silence hadn't been as painful as before but it was still a reminder of the awkwardness remaining between them. She caught his expectant stare and sighed. This whole journey was her opportunity to find closure with Cole and it wasn't easy. She'd been able to deal with her feelings for her sisters and family by writing them last letters but there was no letter for Cole. She'd sat in her bedroom, forced to accept the fact that she'd be leaving her life with one empty hole in her heart. She unconsciously touched the star on her chest and, lost in thought, missed Cole's sudden look of concern.

"Phoebe?" He gently removed her hand and let out a breath of relief when he saw that the star was still the same shade of deep red it had been before. 

"So powerful," she murmured while she stared at the hand holding hers.

Cole quickly pulled his hand away so she wouldn't think he was trying anything with her. But she smiled at him and he was thrown completely off-balance.

"Your emotions, just like everything else about you," she wistfully explained, "so powerful. It's partly why I ran twice from the attic, y'know. Sensory overload."

She didn't seem to be blaming him and yet he couldn't help but feel that he had somehow hurt her once again. "I'm sorry," he apologized in a mix of sincerity and confusion. 

"Don't be," she shook her head with a slight chuckle, "you didn't do anything wrong. You --"

"Stop!" he excitedly demanded. She looked stung and he told her, "I just want to shimmer out and bring back a recorder so I have that on record."

"I've got no idea," she warned him, "what you're talking about."

But her eyes were sparkling and he returned her tease with a smile. "Come on, let's get going again," he said, "unless you need to rest for a few minutes."

"I'm okay," she assured him as she moved forward. She grew more serious, though, when she continued, "About the attic...I knew there was a good chance my sisters would succeed with the spell. I knew you'd be brought back but I still wasn't prepared for seeing you standing there and feeling all you felt. You didn't know to put up any barriers so I was hit with it all. And I mean all. I felt everything." She hugged herself as she remembered the emotional onslaught. "It was all thereyour confusion, your anger, your bitterness. Your fear for meand your love." She lowered her voice and warily added, "And your shame and regret." She gazed up at him and touched his arm, "I know it's all real. I know you're being completely honest."

"It's too bad you needed a power to make you believe," he quietly said when he deliberately looked away.

They continued in awkward silence before Phoebe apologized, "I deserved that." Cole merely grunted in acknowledgement and she admitted, "You should know that tonight I'm facing a lot of truths. About meabout youabout us. And it's been more painful than I expected but, at the same time, it's been surprisingly enlightening. And the most important thing I've come to realize is that, deep down, I've always believed in you, Cole. And I'm sorry, but it was easier to keep that belief buried deep inside than deal with it and the pain of failure."

"Failure?" he uttered in confusion and stopped walking.

Unable to look at him, she nodded and spoke quietly, "Failure to be strong enough to support you whenever you needed it. Failure to save you after you constantly risked everything to save me and my sisters. Failure to act when I simply stood by and failure to hold back when I acted instead. Failure to hold onto something that was so precious to me"

"Love," Cole acknowledged.

"Love," she sighed.

"It wasn't all your fault," he insisted.

"And it wasn't all yours either," she conceded.

"You think you'll succeed now," he warily asked, "with this new guy?"

"Jason?" She reluctantly began, "Cole, I --"

"I'm glad for you," he interrupted.

"Do you really mean it?" she whispered in disbelief.

"What does your power tell you?" he challenged.

"I'm not using it," she declared. "At least not consciously when I'm with the people I"

Cole smiled when her voice trailed off. He knew what her next word would've been and he knew she knew that he knew. But he lost his smile when he realized something else. "You love this Jason?"

Phoebe began walking ahead but, with him keeping pace at her side, realized she had no choice but to be honest with him. "Yes," she replied in a quiet voice, "I do. It's not the same as the love we shared but it's there just the same." She couldn't look at Cole and kept her eyes on the path before them. "Jason's in Hong Kong on business for several months and II've given serious thought to joining him there permanently."

After a few moments of digesting the information, he wondered, "You'd really leave your sisters?"

"I did for you," she gently reminded him. Suddenly, she sighed, "But the point's probably moot because this morning I told him the truth about my being a witch and now I'm pretty sure it's all over for us. Jason's got an open mind about so many things, even magic it seems, but I'm not sure he's prepared to deal with the consequences of living with the extraordinary on a regular basis."

"Then he's a fool," Cole whispered before he strode ahead several steps.

"Cole!" Phoebe cried out when she was suddenly grabbed from behind.

Cole spun at the sound of fear in her voice and immediately prepared to fire two energy balls at the demon holding her.

*********** ********** ************

"Piper" Paige knocked on Piper's bedroom door, opened it, and froze in shock when Piper quickly pulled the bed sheet up to her chin. "Oh, God," Paige uttered in sheer embarrassment as she quickly squeezed her eyes shut, stepped back into the hallway, and closed the door behind her. "I'm so sorry," she called out as she tried to block out from her mind the image of a bare-chested Leo buttoning his jeans.

"Give us a few minutes," Piper shouted back.

Paige still had her eyes shut when she heard Chris ask her, "What's wrong?"

Startled, she jumped back and quickly pulled him away from the door. "Nothing," she told him, "absolutely nothing."

"Did you tell Piper the potion's ready?" he asked.

"She just needs a minute toput herself together," she told him.

"Why?" he pressed. "What's wrong with her? Don't tell me she's still seething over Cole."

"It's got nothing to do with Cole," Paige assured him as she tugged his sleeve to make him move.

"Then what --" Chris began before he turned at the sound of the door opening. "Leo? What's going on?"

After a quick glance to Paige, he awkwardly told them, "Piper'll be ready in a minute."

"Leo, I can't begin to tell you how sor--" Paige stammered.

Leo quickly interrupted while he glanced up to the ceiling, "Gotta go. Be back soon."

As soon as Leo orbed out of the hallway, Chris turned to Paige. "What was that about?"

"What's what about?" Piper asked when she exited her bedroom. Busy straightening her top, she didn't notice the look of realization on Chris's face.

"We're in a life or death situation and you pull Leo away for a quickie?" he shouted.

"Quiet," she hissed, "or you'll wake Wyatt."

"What is it with women?" he exclaimed with annoyance. "You think sex solves everything?"

Paige glanced at Piper and remarked, "Isn't that a line the woman usually says?"

"You've got some romanticized notion that sex during a crisis is a good thing," he criticized.

"Isn't that something a guy usually thinks?" Piper remarked to Paige.

"Fine," Chris threw up his hands and stalked off, "whatever. I knew we'd have to be more concerned about your distractions rather than Phoebe's. Let me know when you're both ready to deal with the crisis at hand."

"Sometimes he's a worse nag than Leo," Paige muttered. "It's none of his business what you do in the privacy of your own bedroom."

"Still, we shouldn't keep getting on his case whenever he's trying to help," Piper decided. "And he has been a big help to us over the past couple of months." Paige nodded sulkily and Piper worried, "Have you heard anything from Phoebe?"

"No," Paige assured her, "and I'm sure that's a good thing."

"Leo said she's got an aura of peace around her," Piper informed her.

"Stuck with Cole?" Paige asked suspiciously. "Leo told you? He's sure?" Her sister nodded somberly and she wondered, "What're we gonna do about him? Cole, I mean." 

Piper shrugged, "I'm not sure we can do anything until he tries something."

"What if Phoebe wants him back?" Paige anxiously wondered.

Piper shook her head, "I don't think she'd risk her happiness with Jason for the dangers that being with Cole brings."

"But?" Paige warily asked.

"But if Leo's right and there still is love between them," Piper explained, "then Cole might become a part of our lives again whether we want it or not."

"That's what scares me, Piper," Paige quietly admitted. "Even if he is only Belthazor now, he's still a demon and he's still a dangerto us, maybe even to himself."

"It scares me too," Piper sympathized. "But I'm not sure we're even entitled to do anything to him if he doesn't do anything to warrant it."

"Well, I've made sure that we're protected," Paige announced, "and I'll be quite happy to let Cole know." Piper shrugged in confusion and she explained, "I prepared the vanquishing potion for him, never mind the how."

"I hope it doesn't come to that," Piper sincerely wished. Paige looked at her in surprise and clarified, "Oh, I'm glad you have it, it couldn't hurt to let Cole know we mean business. But, I don't knowLeo seems to think we should let the past go and --"

"Chris gave me the same lecture," Paige interrupted. "You think they're right?"

"Maybe," Piper considered in a voice barely above a whisper. "Think about it, Paige, in the past year, how often have we really given Cole a second thought? It wasn't until he came back that all these memories came rushing back and maybe that's part of the problem."

"You've lost me," Paige told her. "How can his return not be a problem?"

"What I mean is," Piper thought aloud, "that, once we accepted Cole's part in Phoebe's life, we never really feared him. Sure, Belthazor was a demon, but he acted on our behalf, and the truth is, while he did use his powers, he rarely turned into Belthazoruntil that last time."

"And then he was simply mortal-Cole," Paige continued, "without any powers. Pain in the butt, sure, but not dangerous."

"And then came the Source," Piper shivered, "and we still didn't know enough to be afraid until the end and thenthat last night when he tried to kill us."

The memory of that night flooded her mind and Paige's eyes widened when she realized, "And even then, it was more a show for Phoebeto force her to choose"

"Us," Piped nodded. "And when he came back from the Wasteland, we were so angry but not really afraid, even with all those powers he had."

"Phoebe was," Paige insisted.

"More of falling into old habits with him," Piper argued. "It wasn't until he started getting desperate that he became scary."

"So, what're you saying, Piper," Paige asked, "now that he's back to being good-ol' Belthazor, we've got nothing to worry about?"

"I'm saying," Piper carefully explained, "what I said before. That we watch and wait. If Cole steps one toe over the line, he's history, again, no regrets. But, until then, we live with whatever decision Phoebe makes."

Paige nodded in agreement. "God, I'm glad the guys aren't here to gloat."

"Our little secret," Piper whispered with a chuckle, "they don't have to know when they're right." Paige laughed for a moment too before Piper reluctantly changed the subject, "Is the Dark Starling potion ready?"

Paige nodded somberly, "And I was thinking that maybe creating a spell would help reinforce the potion's power. It's why I wanted to see younot see you, see youI mean I wanted to ta--"

Piper giggled over her sister's embarrassment, "It's okay, Paige, but maybe this'll cure you from entering before you hear the words, Come in.'"

Paige drew an x' over her heart but then asked, "So, you and Leo?"

"I don't know, I'm so confused," Piper groaned before Paige hugged her.

"Leo didn't" Paige inferred.

"No, of course he didn't," Piper quickly said as she pulled back. "It was me," she softly admitted. "I had this awful nightmare but Leo was there to comfort me and listening to his voice and being in his armsAll I wanted was to be with him again, like the way it used to be."

Paige gently brushed away a few of her sister's tears and wrapped her arm around her sister's shoulders. "C'mon, sweetie, let's go downstairs and you can tell me all about it." 

*********** ********** ************


	13. part thirteen

**__**

Part Thirteen

"Release her," Cole ordered the red-skinned demon who gripped Phoebe.

"Just kill him," she impatiently demanded while she struggled under the claws that held her tight.

With the demon cleverly using Phoebe as a shield, Cole couldn't get a clear shot. He threw one energy ball and deliberately missed the demon's bald head by mere inches. "Next time, I won't miss," he bluffed.

The demon grinned and flashed its long spiked teeth, "By all means, go ahead. Either way, she will nourish my children." When Cole didn't act, the demon smugly commented, "I thought so." 

To Phoebe's surprise, she felt herself beginning to shimmer and cried out to Cole.

Cole immediately closed his eyes and concentrated on tracking Phoebe. He'd never had a problem finding her before and he'd be damned if he'd lose her now. His shimmer took him to a chamber where he found her struggling more aggressively with her captor.

"You're not getting me rare, medium, or well-done," she muttered as she hunched forward. In one swift movement, she had grabbed the demon's upper arms and flipped him over herself.

As soon as Phoebe staggered back, Cole killed the surprised demon with one shot. "You okay?" The right shoulder of her sweatshirt was slashed where the demon had grabbed her when he was flipped. "You shouldn't have done that," he criticized as he stepped closer to inspect her injury. "Wasn't our verbal confrontation before enough to convince you to take it easy?"

"It's what he gets for wanting me to be filet mignon for his kids," she wheezed without apology as she stepped back, out of his concerned reach. Her shoulder didn't bother her nearly as much as the burning in her chest. It was hard to breathe and her heart sank when she realized what it meant.

"Anyone with the slightest bit of sense can tell you're best served as dessert," Cole joked to ease the tension but Phoebe continued to struggle to breathe properly and Cole refused to keep his distance any longer. He quickly closed in on her to examine her shoulder. "I don't like the look of this one," he announced as he carefully fingered the tears of the shirt and focused on one of the slashes to her skin. "The others don't appear to be that deep."

Phoebe shook her head and tried to push past him. "We've got to keep moving. C'mon, shimmer us back."

"Not until you've rested for a few minutes," he argued as he placed his hands on top of her shoulders and firmly pushed her so she was forced to sit on the ground. "Stay. I'll be right back with some bandages."

She protested but he was already gone and she sighed because she now had no choice but to wait for his return. She unzipped the collar of her shirt as if loosening it would provide her with more air. But she found herself still trying to catch her breath and couldn't help but glance down at the star. And before she had time to panic, Cole returned.

From the look on her face, he knew something was wrong. "Let me see," he demanded when she immediately zipped up her collar.

"I'm fine," she resisted even though she pressed against her chest with a trembling hand. She took another deep breath. "See, I'm better. Fix my shoulder so we can go."

"Let me see," he repeated. Without waiting for a response, he pried away her hand and pulled down the zipper. He couldn't even take satisfaction in the fact that he'd been right. Her exertion with the demon had caused another change and the color of the deep red star was now mottled with purple. "Phoebe"

"Don't say anything," she whispered as she looked away. "PleaseI don't think I can handle it right now."

Heeding her request wasn't a problem because Cole wasn't sure he could even find his voice. He was one step closer to permanently losing her. "Take off the top so I can bandage your shoulder," he told her in a hoarse voice.

Phoebe nodded, relieved that he wasn't going to make more of an issue of the color change. She winced as she pulled her arm out of the sleeve and tried not to flinch when he carefully began to wrap the bandage around the gashes. She wasn't sure which hurt more, her throbbing shoulder, the change in the star's color, or the way he was trying to hide the despair he was beginning to feel. "Cole?" she questioned without even knowing what she really wanted to ask.

"I'd feel better if I could just take you back to Leo," he said as he finished securing the bandage, "and find the Dracken myself."

"No, not when we're so close." She slowly put her arm back into the sleeve and zipped up the top.

"At least rest for a few minutes," he suggested. She'd already overdone it and he wasn't sure how much more it would take for the star to change again.

"We'll start off slowly," she compromised as she awkwardly stood up. She swayed slightly and allowed him to keep his arm around her. She couldn't even maintain her annoyance with herself for finding comfort in his arms or for feeling his overwhelming sense relief.

But they had barely taken a few steps when Cole was hit from behind by a shockwave that propelled him forward. While Phoebe merely stumbled to the ground, Cole landed in a heap by the far wall. And, before either could react, Phoebe was grabbed from behind and yanked to her feet.

"Dammit," Cole muttered when he looked up at hearing Phoebe's gasp, "a Berrindler. I should've realized."

"Cole" Phoebe nervously uttered while the demon's claws dug into her shoulders.

"Quiet!" the red-skinned demon ordered. "My mate needs to rest."

"Wouldn't want to wake the little missus, would we?" Cole taunted as he got to his feet. He couldn't risk taking a shot and he couldn't shimmer away without Phoebe and his mind raced to figure out how to get them past this danger. "How many more are you?"

"Only me," the demon confidently stated, "which is more than enough to handle the two of you."

"Kill him," Phoebe whispered hopefully. But when Cole didn't move, nor raise a single energy ball, she began to bend forward as she did the first time she'd been grabbed by the demon's twin.

"No!" Cole warned her. "He'll only split into another duplicate if you do."

The demon grinned and roughly pulled Phoebe upright, "Energetic little thing, aren't you? You'll make quite the meal for my children."

"What's going on in there?" a sharp voice called from outside the chamber. "Trevon, you know I need quiet!"

"Apologies, my pet," Trevon replied as he turned to the doorway. "But come see what I've brought you."

"Better luck next time," Cole responded when he was hit with a burst of inspiration. He shimmered out of the chamber.

Phoebe gasped in shock when Cole vanished. Her heart screamed that he wouldn't leave her and she shut her eyes and repeated in her mind the mantra, _I trust him, I trust him_' Trevon's claws dug deeper into her shoulders while she anxiously waited for Cole's return.

"Coward," Trevon sneered before he shoved Phoebe toward the doorway.

"He may be many things," she retorted as she fought to remain in place, "but coward isn't one of them. You'll find out when he comes back for you." Suddenly, she was being pulled back and she managed to twist herself free in time to find Belthazor snapping Trevon's neck. "Cole," she whispered but instinctively took a step back.

Letting the body drop to the ground, Belthazor morphed into Cole and he quietly thanked her, "For what you said" 

"I don't understand," she shook her head while she looked from the body to him. "Why didn't you want me to attack him if you were going to kill him anyway? And why didn't you just fire an energy ball at him like the last one?"

"Because the only way to kill a Berrindler without it duplicating first is to take it by surprise," Cole answered while he checked her shoulders for further injury. "Minor scratches," he told her. She seemed dissatisfied with his answer so he explained, "The first time you were grabbed, he probably split off the second you started to flip him and that duplicate shimmered away to safety before we even knew it existed. But the original was still stunned enough from your flip that I was able to kill him before he could duplicate again. When that duplicate grabbed you now, he was anticipating your move so the only way I could surprise him was to shimmer in behind him. The best part is that now we don't have to worry about payment for the Dracken." He tugged at the zipper of her top, "Let me see."

She shook her head and tried to stop him, "I don't feel any different. It's not like the attack before."

"Let me see," he repeated. He sighed in relief when he saw that the star remained the same mottled color.

"Told you," she softly said as she zipped up the top. "Now can you shimmer us back to where we were before?"

"Trevon?"

Both Phoebe and Cole spun to find a female version of the same demon standing in the doorway, cloaked in a heavy black robe.

"What have you done?" the demoness screeched when she saw Trevon's body lying at their feet.

Phoebe wasn't sure she had the energy to go through another fight and pressed herself closer to Cole. "Cole, she's furi--" But she couldn't finish her thought because a shockwave threw her back against the wall. 

"Phoebe!" But before Cole could shimmer to her side and escape, he, too, was hit by a shockwave and thrown back. 

"You stupid fool!" the demoness spat as she stood over Trevon's body. "I told you I was still sated from your last kill!"

Cole looked up in a daze and realized, "You're pregnant."

"Why else would I be down here in these nether-chambers?" she complained. "The fool thought another kill would please me enough to take him back to my bed," she sneered while she gave the corpse a sharp kick. "Now," she glared at Phoebe, "because of you, I've lost my protection."

"Me?" Phoebe uttered as she brought a hand to the back of her head. "What the hell'd I do?"

"You're female," she snarled. "Trevon knew females provide more sustenance. Your pathetically small form will still be enough to feed us for a week."

"Wait!" Cole shouted when the demoness raised her arm to strike Phoebe again. "Leave her be and I'll let you live."

"You'll let me live?" she laughed. "Do you mean to think you could actually stop me?"

Cole smiled smugly, "I know I canTressla."

Phoebe was just as surprised as the demoness by his recognition of her. "You know her?" Phoebe wondered.

"Who are you?" Tressla demanded.

Cole stood and brushed the dirt off his pants. "I know you, Tressla. You can't duplicate while you're pregnant and you won't risk further attack for fear of miscarrying."

"I fear nothing!" she angrily retorted. "Now who are you?" she demanded again. "I've never seen you before."

"How about now?" Cole asked while he transformed into Belthazor. "Recognize me now, Tressla?"

"Belthazor," Tressla acknowledged. "I thought you were dead. Thrice over."

Phoebe rose to her feet in shock and whispered, "Cole, what's going on? Who is she?"

He ignored Phoebe and focused on Tressla. "I was," he replied before he grinned, "but I'm back thanks to this one." He pointed to Phoebe and added, "For my freedom, I owe her the favor of accompanying her on her mission." He moved close to Tressla and bent his head so he could whisper in her ear. "We are going now. Take care, my pet."

"Belthazor," she purred as she ran her red hand over his chest, "wouldn't you rather stay? I'll let your female go. I'll even find her another to take your place. Stay with me and become my protector. My lover."

"Cole" Phoebe warned as she pressed her hand to the star on her chest. _Enough is enough._' She glared at him, "You wanna play catch up with your old girlfriend, fine. I'm outta here!"

"Quiet," he snapped at her. He turned back to Tressla and stroked the back of her bald head, "What do you offer me for such a burden?" he growled in a low tone. "If you're already nesting, you must be near term but I would still be tied to you for the first three years of your spawns' lives."

"True," she agreed while she seductively ran her hands along his body, "but surely you remember what it was like between us. I promise you the same and more." She brushed the folds of her cloak and assured him, "They won't pose a problem. They'll learn to keep their place until they are old enough to go off on their own."

"How many are you carrying, three, four?" he asked while he kept an eye on Phoebe who was carefully creeping towards the doorway.

"Ever the flatterer," Tressla purred before she smiled, exposing her long, white, sharp teeth. She rubbed her distended belly and proudly informed him, "In five weeks time, I will be mother to the first six of the next generation. They're growing stronger with each passing day but just think of what they could accomplish with you as their mentor."

Ignoring Phoebe's gasp of disgust, Belthazor pulled Tressla even closer and kissed her hard.

"I knew you couldn't resist," she whispered smugly. "Come, lover, let me show you my chamber."

He moved behind her, wrapped his arm around her neck, and kissed her ear. "Sorry, Tressla," he whispered, "but I've got plans of my own." And before she could react, he applied enough pressure in his grip around her neck until she sagged against him, unconscious. He lowered her body to the ground and told a surprised Phoebe, "Be right back." He returned a few minutes later with a length of rope and secured Tressla's hands behind her back. "Come on," he told Phoebe when he was finished. But Phoebe continued to stare at him in shock and he urged, "Come on, Phoebe, I don't know how long she'll be out."

Phoebe shook her head, "Change back first." He seemed confused and she insisted, "Change back."

One look at his hands and he realized he was still in Belthazor's form. Turning back into Cole's, he apologized, "I didn't realize." She still seemed wary of him and he assured her, "I never lost control. I couldn't tell you what I --"

"I know," she interrupted, "and, even though I didn't know what you were up to, I never lost faith." She kept her distance though, "But it's hard seeing you like that again. Knowing you'll have to struggle, knowing the temptation will be great."

Not the reaction he was expecting from her and he admitted, "I thought you'd be more worried or even scared that he was back."

"You are who you are," she shrugged, "and I finally know better than to try and change you." She nearly smiled, "You were the most self-assured I've seen in ages and I don't think you've looked better."

Her acceptance of his inner nature surprised him and he was afraid much of it stemmed from the fact that she knew she was running out of time. "I need Belthazor's strength," he quietly told her, "to take them with us." Phoebe merely nodded so he morphed back into Belthazor. He wrapped an arm around each of the demon's bodies and told Phoebe, "Grab onto me." He flashed her a grin when, due to the fact that his hands and arms were occupied with the bodies, she was forced to wrap her arms around his waist. 

"Not one word," she warned before he laughed and shimmered them back to the original cavern. She quickly stepped away from him and scanned the area. "Looks like it's clear."

"Start moving," he ordered as he carried the bodies along, "we have to find the Dracken."

"Do you hear that?" Phoebe stood still a moment and listened. "I don't think we're alone."

Belthazor stopped and turned his head in the direction Phoebe indicated. He heard the low snarls and immediately lowered the bodies to the ground. He reached out for her and shoved her behind him, "Don't move."

As they were surrounded, she gulped and took comfort in his protective stance, "I think the Dracken just found us."

*********** ********** ************


	14. part fourteen

**_Part Fourteen_**

"Easy," he advised when Phoebe pressed against his back and clutched his arm. "You've fooled everyone else we've come across."

"Still think I'll be steak after all," she whispered while she anxiously watched the seven wolf-like demons circle them. Cole had described the Dracken perfectly. Each was slightly larger than the average wolf with silver-grey fur and solid black eyes. She didn't loosen her grip on him and tried to remain calm as the snarling Dracken tightened the circle.

"We don't want trouble," Belthazor announced. The demons stopped their snarling and circling and he addressed the largest Dracken, "We want to hire you." With his foot, he slowly shoved Trevon's body before it. "Down payment."

When the other six Dracken began snarling again, the leader barked once at them and they immediately stopped. It then growled to the couple before it approached the body and sniffed Trevon's corpse in different spots.

"A healthy male Berrindler, cleanly killed," Belthazor informed it. "You'll get the female after the job is done."

The others snarled excitedly and moved in on the unconscious Tressla. In a moment, twelve additional Dracken joined them. 

"Not until the job's been completed!" he angrily warned the pack. The leader focused on him and he added, "She's still alive and she's carrying six spawn." The leader barked at him and, raising his voice above the pack's howls, he offered, "The male is yours regardless but she's mine until the job is done."

The leader barked twice and the pack instantly quieted and retreated. It then growled inquisitively at him.

"We need you to track a Dark Starling," he replied.

It snapped its jaws at him and quickly barked several times at the others. The pack lined up in three rows behind it and began growling menacingly at the couple.

"Cole," Phoebe worried, "we need them."

He suddenly twisted, grabbed her from behind, and pushed her before him. He did loosen his grip when she yelped in surprise but he still tore open her collar to reveal the star on her chest. "She's been marked and the Dark Starling has disappeared."

The leader growled at him before it turned around to face its pack. It barked at them and one row proceeded to the doorway.

"Wait!" Belthazor called out.

The leader barked at the line of Dracken and they immediately stopped moving. It turned to him and snapped its jaws.

"The payment is more than generous," he growled with frustration, "and you know it! You'll be getting eight for the price of one!"

It ignored his comments and barked several times to the pack. The line by the door left while another row of Dracken began to follow suit. All, except the leader, began to howl.

"Cole," Phoebe whispered as she pressed herself back against him.

"She's my mate!" he shouted above the howling. 

The leader barked sharply and the howling ceased. It faced the couple and snarled at them.

"She's my mate," Belthazor desperately repeated. "I have to save her."

When it suddenly approached Phoebe and began sniffing her feet, she nervously glanced down at her wedding band, clenched her hand, and prayed the Dracken didn't suddenly see through her deception.

"You're okay," Belthazor whispered encouragingly in her ear. 

The leader growled long and the pack sat in their spots. It then snarled at Phoebe.

"The sword," Belthazor reminded her. "They'll need it now."

She nodded and slowly reached behind her and pulled out the sword. She placed it on the ground in front of her and quickly stepped back.

The leader shook its head at two Dracken in the last row. It barked once and they immediately sniffed the sword. Each growled back in reply before it then inspected the sword for itself. It gave three short barks and they returned to their original positions. It looked up at the couple and snarled before it positioned itself over the sword, lowered its nose to the sword's handle, closed its eyes, and tensed its body.

Phoebe gasped in horror as she watched the leader slowly absorb the sword. She spun in a panic, "It's gone! How could you let it do that?"

"We had no choice." Belthazor steadied her and tried to calm her before the remaining Dracken took action. "I didn't know how the Dracken would use it."

Phoebe kept an eye on the seemingly frozen leader. "But you said the sword might be our last resort if the potions didn't work," she whispered in defeat.

"Because the sword carries the essence of the Dark Starling," he explained, "it can penetrate the Starling's defenses." He wrapped an arm around her, "Absorbing an item is probably why the Dracken are so successful in tracking their prey. This leader will be able to sense the Dark Starling by using its own aura against it."

"But, what'll --" she began before the pack began to howl and she pressed herself even closer to him.

The leader snapped from its trance and approached Phoebe. It sniffed her again and rubbed its cheek against her thigh.

"Bend down and look him in the eyes," Belthazor instructed. 

"But…"

"Do it," he commanded, "and don't show any fear."

Nervously, she kneeled and locked eyes with the demon. Almost hypnotically, she reached over and slowly brushed the fur along the back of its head and neck. She kept staring and brushing until it suddenly blinked out of the cavern.

Belthazor watched as all but two of the Dracken blinked out in quick succession along with Trevon's body. The two that remained sat on their haunches and, fully alert, guarded the area. Realizing there was nothing to do but wait for the leader's return, he reached for Phoebe and helped her up. "You okay?" She didn't answer and he repeated his question with concern. She stared at him in a daze and he immediately changed forms. "Phoebe, honey, talk to me. What's going on?" But she said nothing and he anxiously commented, "If this is payback, it's not funny." But it was as if she didn't even see him. He placed his hands on her cheeks and shook her head slightly, nervously trying to force her to snap out of it. "C'mon, talk to me…"

Overwhelming fear broke through her cloudy mind and Phoebe slowly realized it was emanating from someone close by. "Cole?"

He let out a sigh of relief and hugged her tight. "You scared me," he whispered as he willed his heart to stop racing.

"Why? I wasn't," she told him as she pulled herself free from his embrace, "not one bit." She noticed the guards and hugged herself. "It was amazing. I never experienced anything like that…that connection…"

Cole caught her when her knees suddenly buckled. "Sit," he quietly ordered.

"Such power," she murmured when she sat next to him and hugged her knees. "I couldn't read its thoughts but feeling its emotions was…it was like I knew everything about it. What it needed to be a strong leader, a successful hunter, a proud father." Her eyes met his and she softly told him, "What you said, that's why it changed its mind. The only reason for it to go against a Dark Starling." 

"I don't understand," he admitted.

"You called me your mate," she explained. "Strange, don't you think, that a demon that would've ripped me to shreds if it knew I was a witch can understand what that means."

Cole shifted uncomfortably, "Look, I'm sorry about that but I --"

"It's okay," she interrupted as she lightly traced his jaw line. "Thank you," she whispered as she hugged him. She then settled against him and closed her eyes with a sigh.

"No!" he suddenly shouted. "Don't close your eyes!" 

The guards snarled at his agitation and Phoebe, sensing his fear, looked at him with confusion. "What's wrong?"

"Don't close your eyes," he pleaded. He cupped her face in his hands and repeated, "Don't go to sleep."

"I'm just so tired," she quietly told him. "Of everything," she added in a voice barely above a whisper as she closed her eyes again.

"Dammit, Phoebe, listen to me." He lightly shook her and, when she stirred, he demanded, "Talk to me! Tell me about Wyatt. Piper said he's what, nine months old now?"

"More powerful than anyone expected," she mumbled into his chest. "Gonna be king someday. Gotta protect him."

He shook her again, "I'm not kidding, Phoebe. Snap out of it." She glanced up at him in confusion and he continued, "What the hell happened to make Leo an Elder?" She no longer seemed completely focused and, in desperation, he requested, "Hell, tell me about Hong Kong."

"Jason…I do love him," she murmured as she closed her eyes and tried to lean back against him.

He refused to let her rest and propped her up to her annoyance. "Good," he realized when she suddenly seemed more aware of him. "Talk to me," he demanded.

"About what?" she complained.

"I don't care," he uttered, "anything. Everything. Tell me about this past year."

She glared at him. "You don't want to know about it any more than I want to know about your relationship with her!"

"I want to know," he insisted. And, to his surprise, he actually did.

"You're a glutton for punishment," she commented with a shake of her head as she tried to settle back down against him.

"No," he snapped. "You don't get to rest until you tell me what I want to know," he added as he quickly stood up and pulled her to her feet.

The guards immediately rose and took a few steps toward the couple. They snapped their jaws and barked several times.

"We're not going anywhere," Cole shouted at them.

Phoebe pressed closer to his side. "Maybe we should sit down."

Pleased she seemed more alert, he still shook his head. He led her to the opposite end of the cavern and kept an eye on the Dracken while he began to pace with Phoebe. "Now, start at the beginning," he instructed, "or should I say my end?"

*********** ********** **************__**


	15. part fifteen

**_Part Fifteen_**

"Paige, where's the vanquishing spell?" Piper asked as she rearranged the vials of potions for the third time. The waiting was getting to her and a good part of her was tempted to go back to the kitchen and cook something.

Paige covered the mouthpiece of the cordless phone and handed her sister a piece of paper.

Piper took it and apologized to her youngest sister with a sheepish smile. "Didn't realize you were on the phone."

Paige acknowledged her sister with a smile of her own but spoke into the phone. "Don't worry, Richard, I understand."

"You sure you don't want me to come," he asked in a guilty tone.

"You've already said you can't help with Dark Starlings," she assured him, "and I know how you feel about being around all this magic. Whatever happens, I'll call you."

"Everything will be fine," he told her. "You're the Charmed Ones and you'll come through this."

"I hope so," she whispered in response when he disconnected the call.

Piper glanced at her youngest sister, "You okay?"

Paige shrugged. "The Book said there was no vanquish so none of these potions may work. Why should we think the spell will?"

"We have to have faith that they will," Piper said even as she tried to convince herself. "Besides, how many times have we learned that we can pull off the impossible?"

"I guess you're right," Paige nodded slowly. "We've never let anything keep us down for long."

"That's right," Piper smiled. "You sure you wouldn't want Richard to come over? He might be able to help."

Paige shook her head and smiled, "Ironic isn't it, I'm involved with this fabulous guy who happens to be a witch and he's scared of magic."

When Wyatt's cries came through the monitor, Piper smiled sympathetically and patted Paige's arm. "Be right back."

"Y'know," Paige awkwardly suggested, "maybe you should ask Leo to take him, just in case."

Piper simply nodded and left the attic just as Chris orbed into the room.

"Where's she going?" he asked. "You shouldn't separate. It can't be long now."

"She's checking on Wyatt," Paige replied. "What've you found out?"

He shrugged, "About what?"

"About who might've sent that Dark Starling, for one," she questioned in frustration. "And why it chose Phoebe? And how it knew where to find her? Wouldn't I have made an easier target?"

"You were all probably being watched. And you're living with another witch," he told her, "so that doesn't qualify you as being easier."

"Still," she insisted, "based on what it said in the Book, even if Dark Starlings absorb their victims' powers, they don't work for themselves. They're hired to turn witches for other demons so as much as I hate to say this, Cole was probably right. Someone sent the Dark Starling to attack and we've got to find out who before it happens again."

"Nothing's going to happen until the Dark Starling's been successful in turning Phoebe," Chris disagreed. Paige didn't seem convinced and he added, "Think about it, why would the demon attack before Phoebe's been turned? It won't risk something going wrong. Believe me, time is on its side, not ours." 

"That makes me feel so much better," she sarcastically muttered. "Maybe you're right," she considered, "maybe it doesn't matter right now who sent the Dark Starling because we're gonna find out eventually. Maybe the more important question is why Phoebe."

"Why Phoebe what?" he warily wondered.

"Why she was the one attacked," she answered distractedly. "If the demon learned we were all living apart, it could've attacked any one of us."

"She was alone in another country," he suggested. "Piper's got Wyatt and his defenses are already too well-known in the Underworld and, as I said before, you're living with another witch."

Paige dismissed the idea with a wave of her hand, "It would only take a few seconds for Phoebe to call for her Whitelighter." She began to pace and thought aloud, "The goal is to break the Power of Three and the Dark Starlings turn their victims into mindless slaves of evil. Turn one of the Charmed Ones to evil and the Power of Three is broken. Each of us's been evil before but Phoebe most of all, or is it worst of all? Maybe she was chosen because, out of the three of us, she's got the greatest propensity for evil." She gasped as realization set in and she spun to face Chris, "You don't think the transformation will happen faster because she'll let it, do you?"

"You tell me," he replied. "Isn't Phoebe's greatest fear turning evil? I think she'll do anything to stop it."

"But how many times can she beat the odds?" Paige worried.

"Look," Chris commented with concern, "you've gotta stay focused now. Quit worrying about all the whys."

"Easy for you to say," she snapped, "it's not your sister in the Underworld, surrounded by demons, working with the very demon who nearly destroyed her."

"If anyone can help Phoebe," he calmly replied, "it's Cole. From everything I ever heard or read about him, the man would do anything for her, no matter what she does or says."

"That's what I'm afraid of," she murmured as she hugged herself and shivered. "What if she finally forgives him?"

"What if she does? What's wrong if they forgive each other?" he countered. "Maybe then you can all move on."

She walked to the window and stared out at the dark street. "I hate waiting for evil to happen," she whispered. 

"Chris," Piper called out when she entered the attic, "you're back. What'd you find out?"

"Not you too," he muttered to himself.

*********** ********** ************

"There's just one thing I want to know. Why?" Cole pointedly asked while he continued to pace with Phoebe.

She sighed and asked in a hoarse voice, "Why what?"

He glanced at the Dracken who were barking quietly to each other and, while keeping his eyes on them, questioned, "Why'd you cut your hair?" He suddenly realized she was no longer by his side and he turned to find her bent over and holding the wall for support. He quickly rushed back to her, "What is it? What's wrong?" To his surprise, she pushed him back with her free hand and he was further shocked to see that she wasn't in pain but laughing. "What the hell is so funny?" he snapped. "Do you have any idea what went through my mind just now?" She nodded but still couldn't speak and he grew more annoyed, "Dammit, Phoebe..."

She finally got her severe case of the giggles under enough control to at least tell him, "After everything I've just told you about the past ten months, after telling you about all the pain and anger, after telling you all about falling in love with Jason, after all that, the one thing you want to know is why I cut my hair?" She burst into another fit of giggles.

Cole realized the Dracken were suddenly silent and he caught them staring back at him. He ran his hand through his hair and tried not to feel any more embarrassed than he already did. But, before he could do anything else, Phoebe had wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tight. Unsure of what would be appropriate, he slowly put his arms around her quivering body while she continued to giggle. With a sigh of his own, he complained, "Eternity will never be long enough for me to figure you out." 

She pulled back her head and glanced up at him and failed at her attempt not to giggle through her apology. "It's not that you said anything so wrong," she explained, "but that it was so completely unexpected." She stepped away and put a hand to her chest to catch her breath. Then she ran a hand along the back of her head and shrugged. "I was starting a new phase of my life. I guess it was symbolic for a start fresh." She smiled, "Piper loved it but Paige was iffy about it for a couple of weeks." She became a little lightheaded and swayed. "I knew you hated it," she teased in an shaky voice.

He immediately supported her and helped her sit. "Lean back against the wall," he advised.

"Why aren't they barking?" she nervously wondered when she caught the silent guards watching them.

"We're probably more interesting than their conversation," he commented when he sat next to her and leaned back too.

Tressla suddenly moaned. She stirred and rubbed the side of her belly but didn't waken.

"Is she all right?" Phoebe wondered. "Shouldn't she be awake by now?"

He shook his head, "This close to term, she won't do much more than feed and sleep. I'm surprised we actually caught her wide awake and moving about."

After glancing again at their guards, she asked, "You're not really gonna let the Dracken have her, are you?"

"Of course I am," he replied. "They would never have accepted the job for just one dead demon and a deal's a deal."

"Doesn't seem right," she murmured while she watched Tressla's cloak move ever so slightly due to the movements of the unborn children. "She's pregnant and didn't you just finish telling me how rare it is for Berrindlers to conceive?"

"Because they can't interbreed and because Berrindler duplicates are always sterile," he confirmed. "Conception can only occur between two original demons. And for two original demons to find one another…"

Phoebe nodded, "She said she carried the first six of the next generation." 

He glanced at her in concern. "So? She's still a demon who would've had you for breakfast."

She glared at him, "She's acting completely naturally for a mother protecting her children."

"She's a demon," he insisted, "and so are the six spawn within her."

She shook her head, "If she doesn't survive, if her babies don't survive, her breed might die out."

Now he was even more worried. "What's wrong with you?"

She pushed away from him in anger, "Me? What's wrong with you? She was your lover and now you're just gonna feed her to the Dracken?"

"Better her than you!" he snapped. "She meant nothing to me then, she means nothing to me now," he stated.

"How comforting," she muttered and folded her arms across her chest.

"Are you jealous?" he pressed. "Is that what this's about?" She didn't answer and he continued, "All Tressla and I had was lust. We'd meet, satisfy our needs, and leave without a second thought as to when we might meet again. There was nothing remotely romantic behind any of it."

"I don't care. You can't let her die," Phoebe quietly said in a determined tone. "I won't allow it."

"The Dracken prefer live prey and I won't go back on my word," he promised while he tried to control his own growing anger. "Now tell me why you're suddenly so concerned about demons. You were awed by the Dracken too." 

"I don't know," she whispered in a sudden panic. "It just doesn't feel right…I don't feel right…Cole?"

With a shaking hand, Cole pushed away her torn collar and sucked in his breath when he saw the star had changed again. He pulled her close when she began trembling and assured her, "It'll be okay. The leader will be back soon with the Dark Starling and we'll take it back to the attic and destroy it. I won't let anything happen to you."

"It's completely purple now," she croaked.

"It was the earlier stress," he rationalized, "so it's good this past hour's been quieter or it could be worse." He then gently pressed her head to his chest, "Close your eyes. I'll let you know when they're back."

"Thought you didn't want me falling asleep," she argued as she propped herself up. "You don't have to say anything," she reminded him. "I can feel it. You're scared of what'll happen if I do fall asleep and what'll happen if I don't."

"I don't want to lose you," he quietly said. '_Any sooner than I have to,_' he added in his thoughts.

'_You already have,_' she thought to herself. But, instead of answering, she settled back down against him and allowed him to feel comforted by her closeness. "Do you think it chose me because of my own evil nature?" she whispered fearfully.

He shook his head, "Dark Starlings don't choose their victims at random. They're hired by others so, if you were targeted, it's because some other demon wanted you targeted."

"Great," she muttered, "it could be anyone. Who doesn't wanna get the Charmed Ones?"

"How good is this new Whitelighter of yours?" he questioned. "Did he have any leads as to which demon might be behind the attack? How'd he find out about it?"

She shrugged awkwardly, "He didn't really have a chance to warn us because I'd already been attacked and I spent much of my time alone. Maybe he talked to Piper or Paige."

"When we get back, I'm gonna have a talk with him," Cole said. He caught her nervous glance and explained, "You admitted he's been working on his own agenda from the moment he came into your lives."

"But I also told you he's doing everything to protect Wyatt," she insisted. "He always comes through for us in the end."

"Are you implying something?" he snapped.

"Actually, no," she calmly replied, "I'm not." She smiled sadly, "Guess we still have a long way to go."

"Forgiveness and trust can't happen in a few hours," he quietly realized.

"But it's a start," she suggested hopefully.

He nodded, "A good start." When she rested against him, he put an arm back around her and continued in a quiet tone, "I'm still talking to him when we get back. I don't like the fact that someone hired a Dark Starling."

"I'm not so crazy 'bout it either," she griped. "But it doesn't really matter who sent it because if we can't kill the Dark Starling, it'll be the end of me and the Charmed Ones."

"It looks like we're about to get that chance," he commented when their guards began to howl. He helped Phoebe up, kept his arm around her shoulders, and waited.

After several minutes, the Dracken leader appeared followed by six Dracken and a Dark Starling frozen within an orange glowing field of energy.

Phoebe gasped and unconsciously pressed herself into Cole's side.

The leader approached them and snarled. It nodded towards the frozen demon.

"Thank you." Cole morphed into Belthazor, walked over to Tressla, and untied the rope from her hands. Just then, Tressla stirred and, before she was completely awake, he hauled her to her feet.

"Belthazor," she murmured while she rubbed her belly, "what's going on?"

He silently strode back to Phoebe's side. He indicated to Tressla and told the leader, "She is yours now."

When the Dracken all began to howl, Tressla suddenly became alert and aware of her dangerous surroundings. "Belthazor, you don't mean to leave me here, do you?"

He ignored her and told Phoebe, "The field will disappear the minute we reach the attic. Be ready to grab a potion." She nodded and he grabbed hold of the Dark Starling while she wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Belthazor, take me with you!" Tressla demanded and took a step towards him. But the Dracken moved in closer and she pleaded, "I'm carrying the first six of the next generation."

"Goodbye, Tressla," he quietly growled before he shimmered out of the cavern with Phoebe and the Dark Starling.

And, as she was shimmered away, Phoebe heard Tressla's agonizing screams and she knew, assuming she made it through this attack, that it would be a long time before she would ever forget those horrible sounds.

*********** ********** **************__**


	16. part sixteen

Part Sixteen 

"Freeze him, Piper!" Belthazor shouted the instant they shimmered into the attic.  

Piper and Paige, who had been kneeling by the low table with all the potions, stared back in shock.  Their sister clung to Belthazor who held onto a frozen Dark Starling.

While Paige had gotten to her feet, Piper remained in her spot as a thousand thoughts and fears flashed through her mind.  After two years, there he was, Belthazor, standing once again in the middle of her attic.   Phoebe's shaky steps away from him caused her to move and she ran to Phoebe's side and hugged Phoebe tight.  "Thank God," she whispered in relief.

"Hardly," Belthazor snapped.  "Use your power, now! I can feel the shield weakening."

"Potion first," Piper murmured as she fingered Phoebe's torn shirt and bloody bandages, "to remove any other shields." 

Paige grabbed the vials of the pink and green potions and, with a wary eye on Belthazor, instructed, "Let go."  

At the same moment that Belthazor released it and stepped back, the Dracken containment shield dissipated and the Dark Starling instantly formed a fireball in each claw and fired at the sisters.

While the sisters safely jumped out of the way, Belthazor grabbed the Dark Starling's arms from behind.  "Now, Paige!"  But the demon flung him back and he sailed through the air, knocking over the Book of Shadows's stand, and crashed into the nearby chair.  As he rolled over, he couldn't help but notice that the Book shot itself across the floor a few feet further away from him.

"So much for having changed," Paige snidely remarked to her sisters.

"Paige, please…you don't --" Phoebe weakly began before she was yanked down by Piper. 

The fireball narrowly missed them and Piper insisted, "This first, him later.  Throw it, Paige!"

As she dove out of the way from another incoming fireball, Paige threw the pink potion at the demon and coughed from the resulting pink smoke.  She scrambled to her feet, waved away some of the smoke and, while the Dark Starling was still stunned, she quickly threw the green immobilizing potion.  

It suddenly stiffened in position.  The flaming fireball remained in its frozen outstretched claw.

Piper immediately used her own freezing power on the demon and breathed a sigh of relief when it remained frozen.  

Belthazor suddenly turned to Paige, "Call for the fireball.  Using its own fireball against itself might work."

She glanced at Piper who shrugged in reply.  

"Worth a try…" Phoebe quietly agreed with a glance to him.

"Fireball."  And, as soon as it orbed from the demon's claw, Paige sent it flying back at the demon.

"Damn," Piper muttered when the Dark Starling remained standing unharmed.  "Any more bright ideas?"

Belthazor then began firing a rapid succession of energy balls at the demon but they all exploded harmlessly on contact.   "It's not working…Go ahead with the vanquish!"

In a moment of uncertainty, Piper questioned Paige, "Potion then spell? Or both at the same time?"

"Spell? Thought there wasn't any…"  Phoebe watched as the Dark Starling began to break free from the combined freeze.  "Piper……"

Piper immediately froze the demon again but shook her head, "I don't think it'll hold."

As the demon's arm began minutely moving back and forth, Chris reminded the sisters, "The blue potion should weaken it enough for the vanquish to work."

The Dark Starling let loose a fireball at Chris but, because only its claw was completely free from the freeze, the fireball did nothing but leave a black scorch mark on the floor.

Piper grabbed the vial with the blue liquid, threw it at the Dark Starling, and instinctively stepped back from the blue sparks.

Belthazor fired at it with another string of energy balls and shouted, "Vanquish it!"

While Paige grabbed the vanquishing potion from the table, Piper nervously wondered, "Is it my imagination or is he moving more?"  She stepped closer to Phoebe who suddenly sagged.  "Pheebs?" she whispered as she caught her sister.

Belthazor barely acknowledged the sisters while he maintained his attack on the demon.  "Throw the damn potion!"

Paige didn't hesitate and threw the vial directly at the demon.  She grabbed Phoebe's other arm to help support her older sister and squinted as she tried to read the spell amidst the grey smoke.

_"Spell of strength and protection,_

_Multiply our powers to the --"_

Piper faltered in her chanting when she saw the Dark Starling's arm break free.  "Look out!" she shouted to Chris.

Chris leapt out of the fireball's way but crashed headfirst into two wooden chairs.  Dazed, he carefully freed himself from the splintered wood.  "Keep going," he encouraged while he gingerly touched the bloody bruise on his forehead.  

"Spell of strength and protection, Multiply our pow--" 

Phoebe suddenly sagged again, in spite of the support of both sisters.  "Can't see straight…dizzy…" 

Belthazor watched with dread as Phoebe fell to her knees.  He glanced at the Dark Starling and saw its eyes were brightly glowing red.  "No!"  He fired at the Dark Starling over and over.

Phoebe doubled over in Paige's arms.  "Hurts…Can't breathe…"

Paige pulled away Phoebe's collar and encouraged her sister to breathe deeply.  To her horror, though, she caught sight of the star.  "It's turning black," she whispered to Piper over Phoebe's head.

With combined outrage and fear, Piper stood in the open and waved her arms to blow up the demon.  But her effort only resulted in the destruction of Belthazor's energy balls.

"Finish the spell!" he demanded while he desperately fired at the Dark Starling.

But Piper was too caught up in the moment and tried blowing it up again.  When it suddenly disappeared, she anxiously wondered,  "Did it work?" 

Belthazor switched forms again and looked over at Paige and Phoebe.  "Well?"

Paige awkwardly got to her feet and managed to help Phoebe stand.  Paige kept her arm around her older sister and, while Phoebe continued to pant heavily, she tearfully shook her head to the others.

Piper turned to Cole, "Go back and get the Dracken to track it again."

"I don't think we have the time," he replied in a hoarse voice while he watched helplessly as Paige led Phoebe to the sofa.

"Then work fast," she demanded, "I'm not losing another sister."  

"There's always that last potion," Chris mumbled when he finally got to his feet.

"No," Phoebe weakly insisted and suddenly resisted Paige's assistance.  "Not limbo."

Cole turned to Chris and growled as he pointed to Phoebe, "Was this part of it? Was this what you wanted?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Chris retorted.

Cole leapt at Chris and wrapped his hands around Chris's throat.  "You're the one who set this in motion!  You're responsible!"

Phoebe weakly called out, "Cole, no…"

"Get the hell off of him!" Piper shouted as she ran at Cole and tried to pry him off Chris.  

Still holding onto Phoebe, Paige called for Chris and orbed him out of Cole's grip to the far end of the room.

Cole shoved Piper back.  "Open your eyes! He's part of this!"

The star on her chest was burning and Phoebe pressed her hand to it.  "Not Chris," she murmured.

"You said it yourself, Phoebe," Cole exclaimed, "he's been working on his own agenda ever since he met you."

"But he's not trying to kill us," Piper practically screamed, "which's more than I can say for you!"

Cole glared at Chris, "You're involved and we both know it."  Chris was about to protest but Cole cut him off, "Phoebe's turning and if there's the slightest chance you could've stopped it, I swear --"

"I tried," Chris interrupted and hung his head in defeat, "I swear I tried, but it didn't work."

Stunned by his admission, Piper turned to him.  "What?"

"That's where I was this week," he explained.  "After everything that happened last week, I came up with a new plan but it didn't work.  I didn't change anything."  He stared down at the floor while he continued, "The Dark Starling attack changed everything.  Phoebe's turning broke the Power of Three and within a year both Paige and Piper were dead along with Leo."  He glanced at Piper but switched his focus to Cole.  "I don't know why Phoebe was chosen, I swear.  I don't even know who was behind it.  No one ever claimed responsibility."  

Cole gave a curt nod.  "Continue."

"Good magic suffered a terrible blow that day," Chris told them, "and the world was never the same.  With the fall of the Charmed Ones, there were power struggles in the Underworld but no unifying force took over until a decade later."

"What about Wyatt?" Piper tearfully inquired.

Chris finally looked at her and replied, "After your deaths, Wyatt's grandfather was awarded sole custody."

"Thank God," she murmured.

Chris sadly shook his head.  "A year later, Victor Bennett was killed in a fall.  It was called an accident but I discovered that Victor was actually murdered by a faction in an attempt to kidnap the baby and turn him evil.  The Elders stopped them."

Paige watched her two older sisters and wasn't sure which was trembling more.  "See, it's okay, Piper.  Wyatt's okay."

"He lost his entire family," Piper shrieked.  "How can he be okay?"

"Wyatt…survived," Chris cryptically assured her.

"So what now?" Paige asked.  "How do we break the cycle?"

Chris nodded towards Cole, "You're still my wild card.  You might be able to prevent their deaths and stop it all."

"Great," Paige muttered, "just great."

Piper glanced down at Phoebe who still pressed her hand to the star.  "How does that help Phoebe?"

Cole shook his head and locked eyes with Phoebe.  "It doesn't."

"If I don't turn," Phoebe realized with a whisper, "the Power of Three isn't broken.  That'll change everything."

Piper and Paige exchanged glances before Paige reluctantly offered, "I'll get the potion."

"No," Phoebe gasped, "not that way."  With a burst of energy she broke free from Piper's arms and rushed toward Cole.  "You promised."

In an instant, Cole realized what she wanted and gripped her upper arms.  "I can't do that, Phoebe."

"Dammit, Cole," she wheezed, "no time to go through this…again with you.  You promised…I believed..."

"What's she talking about?" Piper nervously questioned.  "What promise?" She took a step closer to her sister, "Phoebe…what have you done?"

"Cole, please…" Phoebe tearfully implored and grabbed his arms when he shook his head.  "Please, let him in and do it."

"Phoebe…" he croaked.  But he couldn't ignore her silent pleading as tears streamed down her face.  In one swift movement, he released Phoebe, morphed into Belthazor's form, pulled her back with one arm, created an athame in his other hand, and, before her sisters could react, shoved the blade deep into her chest.  

"NO!" Piper screamed when Phoebe collapsed against him.

"Phoebe…" he whispered as he dropped the bloody athame, changed forms once again, and lowered her body to the floor.

"What have you done?" Paige whispered in disbelief while she watched Cole cradle her sister's pale form.

Phoebe looked up at him and stared deep into his eyes.  "Thank…you," she breathed.  "Do…love…you…"

He caressed her face and, in a choked voice, promised, "And I love you, Phoebe, forever and always."

"What have you done?" Paige repeated in a louder voice.  In a fit of rage, she reached into her pocket, pulled out the first vial that her fingers touched, and hit Cole squarely in the back with it. 

Through smoke and fire, he managed to push himself back, away from Phoebe.

"No…" she gasped in horror.

Piper dashed to her sister's side and pulled Phoebe into her arms.  She tried to staunch the bleeding and pleaded with Phoebe to hold on.  "Leo!" she stared up at the ceiling.  "Leo, I need you!"

"Promised…him…safe…" Phoebe barely managed to apologize.  She caught his gaze and tried reaching out to him but her hand fell limply to her side and her eyes closed.

"Phoebe!" Cole screamed in a mix of both physical and emotional pain.

As the flames consumed him, Paige pulled the other vial from her pocket and realized, "Damn, I grabbed the wrong one."

*********** ********** **************__**


	17. part seventeen

Part Seventeen 

"Why the hell isn't he gone?" Piper screamed at her youngest sister while she clutched Phoebe tighter to herself.

Paige first gazed at Cole who, still smoldering, was kneeling and coughing, before she shamefully apologized to Piper. "I wasn't thinking and grabbed the power-stripping potion. You were right, I should've put them in different pockets."

Not appeased, Piper glared at her and angrily shouted to the ceiling, "Dammit, Leo, get down here!"

Paige grabbed the vial with the orange potion from the table and rushed to her sisters. "Pour it down her throat," she anxiously suggested to Piper as she reached out with the vial, "before it's too late."

From the pain and fog clouding his mind, Cole caught sight of Paige and moved to trip her. "No!" he hoarsely called out as she dropped the vial which then shattered. "It's not what she wants!" he added, unable to feel any satisfaction.

"Don't tell me what she wants, you son of a bitch," Paige snarled as she shoved him away and got to her feet. She looked from the spilled potion to Piper and nearly cried.

"You come any closer," Piper warned Cole, "and I'll blow you back to hell where you belong."

"You can't, Piper," Chris cautiously told her. "He's human now, an innocent."

"Don't give me that crap! He's killed her," Piper raged, "something he's wanted to do all along."

Cole shook his head and croaked, "I love her, Piper, and you believe that or you wouldn't've brought me back to save her."

"That was desperation," she snapped.

"You knew I'd do anything to save her," he argued. He glanced at Phoebe who was barely breathing. "She begged me…made me promise to do it if she asked."

"Helluva time to finally give her what she wanted!" Paige barked. "She's dying! You --"

"Piper, What's going on? I can barely sense Phoebe," Leo interrupted when he orbed into the attic. He saw her holding Phoebe and, without waiting for an explanation, he knelt opposite Piper and held his hands over Phoebe's chest wound.

"Don't, Leo," Cole warned. "She's still marked by the Dark Starling. You won't be saving her. Let her go."

"Shut up, Cole," Leo hissed. He concentrated and watched as his hands continued to glow but he still snuck a peek at Piper whose eyes were filled with tears and prayer.

"It's what she wants," Cole continued with a shake of his head. "Leaving her in limbo would be worse than killing her."

"We'll have the time we need to find the Dark Starling and destroy it," Paige insisted.

"You don't know that," he countered as his head finally began to clear. He tried to ignore the growing sense of emptiness he felt and stared at Phoebe. "It was pure chance we found a pack of Dracken willing to help. I doubt I'd be that lucky on my own."

"That's a chance we're willing to take," Piper stated.

"What's taking so long?" Paige nervously questioned. "Why isn't it working, Leo?"

"The star's affecting the healing," he answered while he ignored the sweat beading across his forehead. "There's barely anything left for me to hold onto," he murmured.

"No," Piper gasped and squeezed Phoebe's hand. "Phoebe, you hang on! Do you hear me?"

Leo turned to Paige, "C'mere, maybe our combined powers will work."

Paige quickly heeded his instructions and held hands with him over the wound. "What about Chris? He said he's half-Whitelighter. Maybe he can help too."

"Maybe we should just feed her the potion," Piper nervously suggested when Phoebe didn't seem to get any better.

Just as Chris moved forward, a Dark Starling suddenly appeared in the room, brandishing a sword, and swung at Chris.

"Look out!" Cole shouted as he grabbed Chris's legs and pulled the younger man down to the floor. "You okay?" he asked distractedly while he turned back to Leo and the sisters. They were all shielding Phoebe and he tried to fire at the demon before he realized he no longer had his powers. _'Dammit, Paige, you couldn't've waited 'til after the danger passed?'_ A gurgle coming from Chris interrupted his frustrated thoughts, he looked back and, to his surprise, he found a deep slash across Chris's chest. "Leo, he's hurt!"

The Dark Starling pointed at Phoebe with the sword and shrieked in such a high tone that all closed their eyes and covered their ears.

"Keep at it, Leo," Piper pleaded above the noise. She opened her eyes and was terrified to see the star on Phoebe was even darker than before. "It's almost completely black," she announced to no one in particular. "What's that demon doing to her?" A fireball narrowly missed her head and she automatically reacted by trying to blow up the Dark Starling and, when it suddenly vanished, she asked hopefully, "Did I get it?" 

But it reappeared a moment later and sent another fireball at Piper. This time, its aim was off by an even wider margin and it shrieked again in anger.

Suddenly, Cole realized, "This could be our only chance to destroy it! Stop, Leo!" 

"Are you out of your mind?" Piper snapped.

"It had a clear shot but missed," he explained. "It's weak. Look at it," he demanded. "The red aura in its chest's spreading."

"Red aura? I thought I was seeing spots from squeezing my eyes shut," Paige complained.

"So?" Piper snapped to him. "I don't give a damn what color it is, we still can't destroy it. We tried but it's too strong."

"We can," he insisted, "if it's weak enough. Say the spell."

"We can't without Phoebe," Paige pointedly reminded him while she kept her hands tightly gripped with Leo's.

"Might not need…Power…Three…" Chris weakly agreed with Cole, "Not if its bond…to her…breaking…"

To her surprise, Leo suddenly removed their hands and Paige tugged them back. "Leo, we have to save her."

"Cole's right," he quietly said. "Phoebe's dying, the link to the Dark Starling's breaking. That's why it came back."

"Then why's it attacking?" Piper wondered. "Wouldn't it want us to save her?"

"Maybe it doesn't know that's what you were doing," Cole suggested. 

"I don't know," Leo replied. He hesitated a moment before he brought his hands back over Phoebe's wound.

Exasperated, Cole said, "I'm telling you, stop what you're doing and we can destroy it."

Piper again tried blowing up the demon to no avail. "I'm not letting her die!" 

"I don't think we have a choice," Leo quietly told her, "not if we have the power to destroy the demon." 

"What if it doesn't die?" Paige questioned as she ducked another passing fireball.

"Then it'll eventually recover and move onto another victim," Cole replied.

"Then Phoebe will have died for nothing," Paige commented through clenched teeth.

"There's a greater good at stake," Leo grimly acknowledged while he stared helplessly at Phoebe's pale face.

Paige grabbed his hands and held them over Phoebe's wound, "I say we save her and take our chances." 

"Can you bring her back when we kill it?" Piper quietly asked Leo.

"Piper!" Paige gasped.

"We've done it before," Piper countered. "Come back from the dead. Leo, can you do it?" 

"I don't know," he reluctantly admitted. "There may not be enough time and the star's damage may be irreversible."

"Get the sword, Paige," Cole ordered. She glared defiantly at him so he snapped, "Just do it."

After Piper nodded in agreement, she grudgingly called for the sword but had to use it to immediately swat away a fireball sent by the surprised Dark Starling. The fireball narrowly missed Cole and she momentarily wondered if fate would ever allow them to be rid of him once and for all.

Cole held out his hand and ignored Piper's panicky cry to Phoebe. "Hang on, babe," he whispered to himself. "Paige, the sword. Now!" In an instant, the sword orbed into his hand and he charged the Dark Starling, spearing it in the chest. Surprisingly drained from the exertion, he was completely unprepared for the resulting explosion and he was thrown back, nearly crushing Chris with his body.

When the echoing booms faded, Leo sat up straight and glanced down at Phoebe. "I think the star's fading."

"It worked?" Piper tearfully exclaimed and squeezed Phoebe's hand, pressing it to her own heart. "Stay with us, Pheebs."

"Paige, get back here," he urged. "We've gotta hurry."

Cole took a deep breath and turned back to Chris. He pulled the cloth from the table and pressed it to Chris's wound. "Hang on, Leo'll be right here."

"Not soon enough," Chris weakly said. "Not…way I planned…"

Cole had to bend close to hear Chris. "That's the problem with you Halliwells," he whispered, "you never count on your plans backfiring."

Chris's eyes widened. "You…know?"

"Phoebe told me what she knew about you," Cole confided. "The clues were all there but, as you've learned, the Charmed Ones can be rather self-absorbed and slow at figuring out what's right in front of them."

"I think it's working," Paige excitedly told Piper.

"Thank God," Piper murmured as she watched Phoebe continue to be healed.

"Can't…tell…" Chris turned his head and strained to see the sisters. "Not…ready…"

"I won't," Cole promised in a low tone. "Wouldn't want to disrupt any more of your misguided plans."

Chris coughed up some blood. "Your plans…now…not mine."

"What're you talking about? I'm about to be vanquished yet again," Cole half-joked.

"Listen," Chris whispered, "truth…" He took a painful deep breath while Cole bent even closer. "Wyatt's evil…"

"You said the Elders saved him," Cole uttered in surprise.

"Faction…knew Wyatt too…powerful…" Chris haltingly explained, "went after…baby…"

"You," Cole realized. "They were after you."

Chris grabbed onto Cole's arm and tried to pull him closer. "Elders…saved us…Trained…mentored us…Wyatt…resented them…blamed them for…taking away…so much…everyone…"

"You really did come back to protect Wyatt," Cole concluded. "To change his future."

Chris could barely nod. "Some ways…he's worse…than…you…"

"Phoebe!" Piper cried out as her sister finally stirred.

"Thanks…I think," Cole told him distractedly as he turned to see Piper pull Phoebe into her arms.

"Promise…protect them," Chris whispered.

Cole glanced down at him in alarm. "Leo, over here, now!"

Cole's image was fuzzy and Chris knew Leo wouldn't be in time. He chanted in a voice so soft he almost didn't hear it himself.

_"Future's lookin' pretty dim…_

_'less I…transfer powers…me to him…_

_No longer evil…deep inside…_

_Whitelighter…witch…now will reside…"_

A bright white light emanated from Chris's body and encompassed them both. The others didn't have time to react and shielded their eyes from the glare.

As soon as the light faded, Cole whispered to Chris in a daze, "What'd you do to me?" The emptiness from Belthazor's most recent vanquish was replaced by something else. Something new. Power. But different from what he'd ever felt before. "What'd you do?" he repeated more urgently. 

"Wild card…" Chris smiled before he closed his eyes.

"Dammit," Cole shouted, "don't you die now!"

Leo pushed Cole back when he raced to Chris. His hands glowed for a few seconds over Chris's wound before they stopped.

"Leo?" Piper quietly questioned as she and Paige came closer, supporting Phoebe between them.

"He's gone," Leo sadly informed them. "There's nothing I can do."

*********** ********** ************


	18. part eighteen

**_Chapter Eighteen_****__**

"This is your fault," Paige charged Cole.

"No, it's not," Phoebe countered in a drained tone as she struggled to remain focused. "He only tried to help. He…" She gazed at him and suddenly realized, "You're here. But I thought, I mean, I saw --"

"Power stripping potion," Cole explained simply, with a glare to Paige.

"I'm sorry," Phoebe whispered as she began trembling. "I'm so sorry, I promised you…" She suddenly turned to Paige, "How could you? He was only doing what I wanted."

"Calm down, sweetie," Piper told her while she shared a concerned glance with Paige, "it's not her fault. She, we both, saw him turn into Belthazor and stab you. We thought he killed you. And he nearly did."

"Because I begged him to," Phoebe weakly argued. "I didn't want your potion. He --"

"He's fine," Paige interrupted while trying to maintain her composure. Right now, in spite of how she felt about Cole, the last thing she wanted for Phoebe was to get caught in the middle again. Phoebe looked about ready to collapse. 

"Like hell," Cole muttered before he quickly lied to a pale Phoebe, "It's for the best. I'll be fine."

"See?" Paige told her sister with a hint of annoyance due to his first comment.

But she didn't see. Cole had only tried to help and fate still screwed him. Or, rather, her sister did. "Oh, Paige…" Phoebe's trembling only increased, her knees buckled, and her sisters quickly helped her to the sofa. "It's not right," she cried to him. "You were finally…"

"Phoebe?" Piper sat next to her sister and rubbed Phoebe's arm with concern when Phoebe stopped speaking.

"What's wrong?" Cole wondered while he knelt before her. He touched her knee and tried to assure her, "It's not your fault."

"She was brought back from the edge of darkness," Leo reminded them. "I can only heal her so far and it may be a few days before she's gathered her strength back."

"C'mon," Paige suggested as she sat on the sofa, on Phoebe's other side, "let me orb you to your room so you can get some sleep. You've had one helluva day."

"No," Phoebe shook her head, "not yet…Cole's…" She stared at him in confusion, "You're…you're…different. Something's off..." The fuzziness she felt frustrated her to no end. "I know my power's a bit off but I'm definitely sensing something strong but I just can't quite make it out…"

"Power," Cole quietly acknowledged with a slight nod. "I can feel it."

Phoebe ignored Piper's gasp and added, "But there's something familiar about it…"

"Great," Paige groaned, "he's evil again." She glared at Cole and demanded, "What'd you do, absorb the Dark Starling's power when it was vanquished?" She turned back to Piper, "Who knows what he can do now…"

"I can't do anything thanks to you," he angrily reminded her.

Phoebe shook her head but immediately grabbed onto Piper when a wave of dizziness caused the room to spin. "No…not evil…" she murmured with her eyes closed.

"Leo?" Piper questioned as she steadied her younger sister. Phoebe slowly opened her eyes and Piper gently asked, "You okay?" Phoebe nodded and Piper pulled her closer and wrapped an arm around Phoebe.

Meanwhile, Leo had closed his eyes and concentrated on Cole. On the power he felt emanating from Cole's being. After a moment, he looked at the others and nodded somberly, "He's a Whitelighter."

"What?" four voices exclaimed at once.

Leo sighed and explained, "Every Whitelighter has an individual, um, energy code, if you will."

"Like demons," Cole agreed distractedly while he stared at his hands and watched them glow with a golden light for a second or two. 

"Always wondered why specific demons could appear when called rather than any demon from the same breed," Phoebe commented as she watched him. She could barely make out the confusion she was sure he was feeling.

"It's more than that," Leo added. "Sensing Cole now is as if I was sensing Chris."

"Damn him," Cole muttered. "That's what he did." The others stared at him as he realized, "It was a spell. I could barely hear him but it must've been a spell to transfer his powers to me."

"Great," Piper rubbed her temples, "just great."

"Vanquish me," Cole suddenly said.

Paige grinned, "First thing that's made sense all day."

"What?" Phoebe uttered in surprise.

"I can't be a Whitelighter," he told her. "I did what you wanted, it's time to return the favor."

"No," she declared as she leaned forward and pressed her palms to his cheeks. "You're strong enough to handle this."

"We'd better go," Leo told him. "We'll have to go before the other Elders so that some decisions can be made."

"What decisions?" Paige anxiously wondered.

Cole momentarily closed his eyes, "No." He pulled Phoebe's hands away and looked up at Leo, "Forget it."

Phoebe nervously glanced at Leo before she gazed at Cole, "It'll be okay. Leo will be there to help you adapt."

He abruptly stood up and turned away from all of them, "Not this time. I'm damned tired of always adapting."

"Tough," she retorted as she pushed away Piper's restraining hand and stood up. She shakily walked around him to face him. "Life is about adapting to the unexpected. Everything happens for a reason, Cole."

"That's your belief," he declared, "not mine."

"You can do this," she insisted, "I know you can." He didn't look convinced and she quietly swore, "I believe in you, Cole, all you have to do is believe in yourself."

The telephone rang and startled everyone. While Piper searched for the cordless handset, Leo stepped closer to Phoebe and Cole. "We should go," he quietly suggested but with an air of authority that gave no room for argument.

Phoebe ignored the ringing phone and, with a smile, told Cole, "Give 'em hell, Counselor." He suddenly grinned and, when she suddenly realized what she'd said, she quickly corrected herself, "Not literally!"

Cole chuckled, "Maybe this won't be so bad after all."

"Cole…" she warned.

"Phoebe," Piper interrupted, "Jason's on the phone."

Phoebe looked from the phone in her sister's hand to Cole and wasn't sure what to do.

"He'd be a fool to let you go," he quietly reminded her.

"Thank you for saving me," she whispered as her eyes began to well with tears.

Cole placed his hands on her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. "Thank you for saving me," he repeated before he turned to Leo. "Let's get this over with."

Phoebe watched the orb sparkles disperse in the air and couldn't help but chuckle when she heard Cole's echoing voice, "I still say I'm in hell."

"Pheebs," Piper awkwardly told her, "Jason's waiting." 

Phoebe nodded and took the phone. She let Piper lead her back to the sofa and sat down. "Jason, hi…How are you? Is everything okay? I mean your meetings, did they…I mean I hope this morning's events didn't --"

"Can you come back?" he interrupted. "I'm in a break right now but my last meeting was cancelled and I thought maybe we could talk. Or maybe you could talk and I could listen."

Phoebe glanced at her sisters. "Are you sure? I thought you wanted some time to yourself."

"I did," he replied in a tired voice, "I do. But then I realized that I didn't have all the facts and I owe it to myself to at least hear you out before I take that time to think."

"Okay," she quietly agreed, "Paige can bring me back whenever you want."

"I'll be tied up for another hour or so," he told her. "If you could be there before I came back…And maybe…maybe it's not such a good thing if she's there with you. No offense to Paige but…"

"I understand," she nodded even though he couldn't see it. "I'll be there." She disconnected the call and told her sisters, "He wants to see me, to let me explain."

Piper quickly hugged her, "That's wonderful, sweetie. I told you he just needed some time."

Phoebe pushed herself out of her sister's embrace and cautioned, "He still wants time alone. He just wants to hear the rest before he does. I'm not sure going into more detail will make things any better."

"Learning about magic's a big shock for anyone," Paige said. "Remember how I first reacted? I don't think I could've orbed outta here faster." She smiled warmly at Phoebe and assured her sister, "He'll come around. You'll see. Lemme just call Richard, tell him everything's okay, and then I'll drop you off."

Phoebe shrugged, "He's still in a meeting so I have some time to grab a quick shower and change before I go back." She stood and walked to the door and, as she headed down the stairs, she murmured, "I hope he'll be okay."

"I'm sure he will be," Piper called out.

Overwhelmed by everything, Paige sank back into the sofa next to Piper. In a concerned tone, she indicated to the empty doorway and asked Piper, "Who do you think she meant just now? Jason or Cole?"

"Jason," Piper automatically replied before she took a moment. "I think…I hope."

Paige pulled from her pocket the vial containing Belthazor's vanquish. "He's back, Piper," Paige worried, "and all the rules've changed."

"Not necessarily," Piper theorized. "I think maybe they both got some closure and maybe that's not a bad thing. But I don't think she wants him back."

"What're we gonna do if…" Paige couldn't even finish her thought.

Piper patted her sister's arm. "We just have to wait and see what happens."

*********** ********** **************__**


	19. part nineteen

**_Part Nineteen_**

****

**_Six Weeks Later…_**

Phoebe lay back on the patio's lounge chair and stared up at the twinkling stars and made a wish, or, rather, two. As had become her routine for the past few weeks, she closed her eyes and thought of him. Of them. Two men so completely different. But two men who loved her completely. Two men she loved in return. Two men who had broken her heart. She sighed, opened her eyes, and pulled the blanket tighter around herself. Even with her eyes open, her mind replayed the talk with Jason three weeks before.

_"It's just not working," Jason paced on the other side of the hotel room's coffee table._

_"It's only been three weeks," Phoebe desperately told him from the edge of her seat on the sofa. "You've been exposed to so much in such a short amount of time and you still need to get used to it. We weren't used to it after three weeks, how could you be? Hell, after three years, we were still questioning our lives."_

_"That's not it, Phoebe," he shook his head. "I just can't compete with all this."_

_"All what?" she asked in confusion. "What are we in competition for?"_

_He sank into the lounge chair and leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. "How can I tell you about a three million dollar bonus I made in a board room deal when you've just come back bruised and scraped after saving the life of some innocent?"_

_"Because it's important," she insisted. "Because it's important to you. I want to hear about your successes. I want to share it with you."_

_"It's not the same," he told her. "And even if we just talk about helping people…Phoebe, I can help as many needy people as I can through whatever means I have and it will never be the same as what you can do."_

_"Would it be any different if I was saving lives as a doctor or a firefighter?" she challenged. "I'm not trying to be better than you and I'm not trying to prove anything to you or anyone else."_

_"It's just hard," Jason hung his head. "In three weeks, you've left me three times in the middle of public dinners. Once, you had Paige orb me to you because you were recovering at home from some attack. And twice I've had to create excuses to Elise for why your column was faxed in at the last minute from Paris or some other city when I was actually elsewhere at the time."_

_"I never meant to put you in those positions," she apologized._

_"I'm not," he replied with sincerity, "because it explains so much of the mystery about you that existed in our relationship. But I can't deny that it's also made me see the reality of being involved with a witch."_

_Phoebe stared at him as a great weight of sadness settled upon her, "I know it's hard, but it's what I do. It's who I am."_

_"I know," he acknowledged in a choked voice. He stood up, walked to the sofa, and sat on the coffee table in front of her. He took her hands in his and told her, "And I love you for it. Phoebe, I love everything about you, even your being a witch."_

_"But you can't be with me," she tearfully realized._

_He kissed her hands and squeezed them, "I'm sorry."_

_Phoebe gently tugged her hands free and stood up. She gathered her coat and bag and walked toward the door before she turned around. "I can make you forget," she offered._

_Jason stood, "What do you mean?"_

_She stepped forward and confessed, "The night I told you the truth about me, I almost asked Paige to bring me back to you so that I could cast a spell on you." He seemed stunned and she quickly told him, "It wasn't to do evil or anything. I thought, well, I thought that what I told you was too much for you to handle and I wanted to take it away. There's a spell that would make you forget all about magic, all about my being a witch."_

_"You could make me forget about you?" he wondered._

_"If that's what you wanted," she replied in a choked voice. "I'd work into the spell whatever explanation you wanted."_

_Jason quickly shook his head, "I don't want to forget you. I don't want to forget a single moment of our time together."_

_"I tried so hard to make this easy for you," she insisted. "I wanted this relationship to last. I thought it could." _

_"I know," he smiled sadly, "I did too." He reached out and lightly gripped her upper arms before he pulled her close and kissed the top of her head._

_Phoebe leaned into him and wrapped an arm around his waist, "I love you, Jason."_

_"And I love you, Phoebe," he assured her. "I always will. But sometimes love isn't enough."_

"Where have I heard that before," Phoebe wondered bitter-sweetly as the memory with Jason faded. "You're probably thinking I deserved it," she whispered to the heavens, "that it serves me right to get a taste of my own medicine." But the stars seemed to mock her by twinkling even brighter. "Dammit, Cole, where are you?" she whispered back to them.

Leo continued to stand quietly on the patio and watched Phoebe for a moment more before he decided to interrupt her privacy. As he approached, he asked, "Make a wish?"

Phoebe gasped in surprise before she nodded. "Not that it matters much. I don't think I ever had one of those wishes come true. Or, at least, stay true."

He gazed up at the stars, "But it doesn't stop you from wishing, does it?"

She shook her head. "Is there trouble?" She sat up and sighed, "It's been a long day and I'm not really in a vanquishing mood."

"No," he assured her, "no trouble. I just wanted to see Wyatt."

"It's late," she acknowledged, "and he's probably asleep. Piper, however, hasn't left for the club yet."

"I'm not exactly her most favorite person these days, am I?" he sighed as he sat down on the foot of her chair.

Phoebe smiled sympathetically, "She's not mad at you, not really. She told me it's practically her fault for throwing herself at you."

"She didn't throw herself," Leo quickly said. "And I should've stopped it from happening but I didn't."

Phoebe smiled at his defense of Piper and patted his arm. "It's not anyone's fault. It's a miracle and was meant to be. Just like Wyatt. It's just that this took her by surprise. Wyatt's barely a year old, you're not here, Paige is living with Richard, and she's stuck with her younger mopey sister living at home. She doesn't think she's ready for this and she's scared."

"It's not easy for me either, Phoebe," he complained. "I didn't ask to be an Elder. I didn't want to be an Elder. But I can't…I can't ignore my calling. Not even for her or my sons."

"I know," she hugged him, "and Piper knows too…You'll figure this out." She pushed back and, unable to look him in the eyes, gazed at the stars while she asked, "Is he okay?"

"Phoebe…" he warned in a tone of concern rather than anger.

"I want to talk to him," she demanded as she turned to him. "I've tried calling for him and he won't come."

"He needs to adjust to his new powers," Leo answered simply. "When the time comes, if it comes, he'll answer you."

"What does that mean?" she worried. "Leo, please, I have to know. We've barely seen you since it happened and you don't talk about him. Or you won't. But I have to know, is he okay? How is he managing? Did they do anything to him?"

"They haven't done anything to him," he replied. "It's not like that."

"Then how is it?" she questioned in frustration. "Did they send him off somewhere to prove himself? To test his powers? What are his powers, anyway? We never knew what Chris could do as a witch. Did they give him a charge? Or are they going to abandon him?"

"Of course not," he muttered, "much as they'd like to."

"What does that mean?" she groaned as she stood up.

It was near impossible keeping anything from the Halliwell women so Leo gave up and admitted, "He's driving everyone insane." Phoebe paled and he quickly added, "Not literally." She seemed only slightly relieved so he explained, "He's not like any other Whitelighter."

"Paige is half-witch/half-Whitelighter," she commented with confusion. "It's entirely possible there are others out there like them."

Leo chuckled but shook his head, "That's not what I mean. You have to remember, Cole is still part-demon. Maybe not physically any longer but that life is still ingrained in him. His past, his heritage, didn't simply vanish along with Belthazor."

"So he's not quite the angel," Phoebe understood with a wry smile. "Serves 'em right," she gleefully added.

"Phoebe!" he admonished.

"Sorry," she sheepishly grinned, "guess I still don't really consider you one of them." She considered thoughtfully for a moment, "Guess the ones up there now with you aren't even the same ones that gave us so much grief while we were learning about our powers. Are they at least showing him some understanding? Are they giving him a chance?"

"He's done some pretty amazing things," Leo acknowledged, "in such a short amount of time. Almost too much, all things considered. I don't think he's trying to prove anything to them as much as he is to himself." He sighed, "But he goes about it all in very unorthodox ways and that…concerns them." He stood up, faced her, and quietly instructed, "Don't call for him. It's not what he needs right now. Or wants."

"I'm just worried about him," she whispered with a touch of sadness by Leo's words. "For him."

"I know," he nodded, "and so does Cole."

Phoebe was taken aback. "He talks about me?"

"No." But upon seeing tears in her eyes, he reluctantly confessed, "Once. He asked about you. He knows about you and Jason. No, I didn't tell him but he's pretty resourceful so I'm guessing he's been keeping an eye on you. On all of you." He pulled her into a hug, "You'll be okay, Phoebe."

Phoebe nodded but hugged him tighter, "We both will…It's not easy, is it? Letting go."

"If that's even possible," he murmured.

"Da?"

Leo and Phoebe pulled apart to find a pajama-clad Wyatt standing before them holding a stuffed unicorn.

Phoebe whipped off her blanket and wrapped Wyatt in it causing him to squirm and reach out for Leo.

Leo picked up his son and quietly chastised, "You belong in bed right now. No more orbing." 

Phoebe smiled at Wyatt's giggles but told Leo, "You'd better take him in before Piper discovers he's missing."

Just then, Piper came running out of the house in a panic. "Wyatt's gone! He's gone! I've checked every--" When she suddenly realized Wyatt was safe in Leo's arms, she pressed a hand to her heart and caught her breath. "Thank God," she whispered as she practically grabbed Wyatt from Leo and squeezed the boy tightly in her arms. "You have to stop doing this to Mommy," she told her son.

Wyatt merely reached for Leo. "Da…"

Leo shrugged and apologized, "I had some time and wanted to check on him. I thought he'd be asleep but he must have sensed me and come looking."

"Great, he can sense you," she complained. "We're gonna have to put a block on his room to keep him from orbing out. No more orbing, Mister, unless it's an emergency." But she was unable to keep a stern face for her son and placed the happy boy back in Leo's arms. "How about if you put him back to bed and stayed with him for a bit. I'm running late."

"Sure," Leo grinned before he acknowledged both sisters with a nod. He bounced his son and, when Wyatt giggled, he orbed them from the patio.

"You okay?" Phoebe asked Piper when the sparkles faded. "You know you're gonna have to talk to him sooner or later. Plan for the future."

"I can't even think about that," Piper confessed as she sank onto the chair, "without wanting to throw up."

Phoebe smiled and teased, "That's just morning sickness."

"What a mess," Piper muttered. "Wyatt's still a baby, Leo's an Elder, Paige isn't here, and we don't have a Whitelighter."

"But you've got me," Phoebe declared, "and I'll take care of you." Piper didn't answer, didn't even smile, and Phoebe shamefully realized, "You're still mad at me."

Surprised, Piper turned to her, "Why would I be mad at you?"

Phoebe glanced up at the stars. "Because I still care about him and you still blame him for what happened to Chris."

"Chris was my son," Piper practically shouted, "and he's dead."

Phoebe spun to face her, "Don't you think I know that? Don't you think that's haunted me since you discovered you were pregnant and we put it all together?"

"How am I supposed to carry him inside me," Piper cried, "and know that he's fated to die before he's even twenty-five?"

"We don't know that," Phoebe exclaimed, "because the future is always changing."

"Not my son's future," Piper stated. "Chris is going to grow up only to go back to the past and come here. And he's going to die here."

Phoebe shook her head and sat next to her sister. She wrapped her arm around Piper's shoulders and told her sister, "Chris went back to the past to change it. Yes, he lost his life but it wasn't Cole's fault. And, more importantly, Piper, Chris did change the past. He saved us. And he saved Cole."

"He's still dead," Piper whispered as she rubbed her belly. She wasn't showing yet but she knew he was growing inside her and it was breaking her heart.

"Not necessarily," Phoebe insisted. "Chris changed everything by having you bring back Cole. Cole wasn't around in Chris's original past. Whatever happened that Chris was trying to prevent may not happen now that Cole is here. And if Cole can prevent whatever it is from getting Wyatt, then Chris won't have to go back in time so he won't die here."

A spark of hope lit Piper's eyes. "That does make sense, doesn't it? The future's always changing, right?" Suddenly, she frowned, "Then all this rests on Cole's ability to stay good. He's still a demon, Phoebe, no matter what powers he has. How do we know he won't turn evil, become a Darklighter?"

"He won't," Phoebe assured her older sister, "because he wants to be good and leave all that evil in the past. And because he's got a responsibility to make sure Chris didn't give up his powers and die in vain. And because…well, if you think about it, if he's got Chris's witch powers then that means he's got Halliwell powers…" Piper gasped and Phoebe chuckled, "Sorta kinky if you think about it."

"Phoebe!"

Phoebe's smile faded and she seriously told her sister, "After everything we've all been through, Cole would never do anything to taint our line with evil. I know it. Give him a chance, Piper. Please…"

Piper acknowledged her sister's words with a nod but said, "I don't want to talk about this anymore." She stood, "I've gotta get to the club. Why don't you go back inside? It's freezing out here and I'm sure Leo has to leave soon."

"Jason called," Phoebe suddenly admitted. "While you were giving Wyatt his bath."

"What'd he want?" Piper asked with concern as she immediately sat again next to Phoebe. "Are you okay?"

Phoebe shrugged, "He wanted to let me know he was back in town. That he'd be staying for a while and that I'd probably be seeing him a bit more at the office." She shrugged again, "It's not any easier for him, I guess…I still love him. I still wish it was different, that we were still together. I miss him, Piper."

"Of course you do," Piper sympathized with a hug. "Those feelings aren't going to just go away. You know that."

"Only too well," Phoebe whispered. "He made me believe again, Piper. In love, in myself."

"I know, sweetie," Piper comforted. "You'll be okay. You both will. It just takes time." 

*********** ********** **************__**


	20. part twenty

Part Twenty 

****

**_Six Weeks Later…_**

"How are we supposed to host Wyatt's birthday party next week," Piper complained, "if we're attacked by demons every weekend?" She leaned back against the sofa, propped her feet up on the coffee table, and turned to Phoebe who sat next to her. "How's your head?"

"It hurts," Phoebe complained while she continued to press the ice pack to the back of her head. "Maybe if I grew my hair long again it would help cushion the blows."

"Nah, trust me," Paige muttered from the nearby chair as she winced under Richard's care, "it'd still hurt like hell."

"Stop fidgeting," he scolded while he bandaged the bloody scrape on her shoulder. "Why didn't Leo heal you?"

"He's up there," Piper sighed as she looked up to the ceiling, "on Elder business so he's not answering. I suppose we shouldn't've gotten used to him being around so much again."

Knowing that comment referred more to Piper alone than the sisters together, Phoebe gave her older sister's hand an encouraging squeeze. "At least you've got a built-in Whitelighter again," she teased before she leaned over and spoke to Piper's slightly-rounded belly as she rubbed it, "and you just keep up the great job, Chris."

Piper smiled indulgingly to her younger sister before she swatted away Phoebe's hand. "Strange how he can heal now but couldn't when he was older."

"We really don't know much about him," Phoebe responded while she leaned back and pressed the ice pack to her neck, "or about the world he came from. It was obviously a rough place to grow up. Maybe something happened to him and he lost that power."

"Since he can't answer, don't wrack your brains trying to figure it out," Paige instructed as she flexed her wrist with a groan. "Just enjoy your invincibility while you can."

"I can't believe they still haven't assigned you a new Whitelighter," Richard commented as he shut the first aid box and placed it on the coffee table. He then stood behind Paige, gently kneaded the back of her neck, and smiled when she sighed with contentment. "You'd think the Charmed Ones were important enough."

"You'd think so," she grumbled, "wouldn't you."

"It isn't Leo's fault no one wants to work with us," Piper sighed. "We're too stubborn, opinionated, hot-heated, fool-hardy, and," she frowned, "what else'd he say?"

"Bitchy, inexperienced, and magnets for evil," Paige replied with a roll of her eyes.

"Can you believe they said inexperienced? Weren't we the ones who vanquished the Source? Twice?" Phoebe griped before she caught Richard's amused expression. "What?" she glared as she sat up straight and removed the ice pack. "You agree with them? You think we're that terrible?"

Knowing when to pick his battles, Richard held up his hands in surrender. "All I'm saying's there has to be some truth, however small," he quickly amended, "if the Whitelighters're all unanimous in their opinions. Especially considering they've never even met you."

"Yeah, well, if that's their attitude, I say we're better off without a Whitelighter," Phoebe muttered before she stood. "I'm going to take a nice long soak in the tub. 'Night, you guys."

"She's blaming herself for the Kort escaping," Piper reasoned as she watched Phoebe solemnly climb the stairs.

"But it's not her fault," Paige quickly replied. "Our innocent had to come first."

"You know Phoebe," Piper sadly shook her head. "All she's thinking about right now is that she took too long comforting the little girl instead of immediately going after the Kort who're now free to continue their killing spree. It's only a matter of time before we lose an innocent to them." 

Paige noticed Piper absentmindedly rubbing her stomach. "Does she still think the Kort're responsible for the Dark Starling attack?"

Piper shrugged, "During the past three months, they've appeared in six of her premonitions and each of those attacks occurred with us being separated. We were very lucky we caught up to her tonight when we did."

"Or we might've lost more than just the Kort," Paige quietly agreed. "Guess maybe it is more than coincidence."

"Maybe not," Richard commented with growing concern. The others turned to him and he continued, "The Starling attack was three months ago and you don't have any concrete evidence that the Kort were behind it. If not for these premonitions, you wouldn't have any evidence at all against the Kort over any other demon. You can't let yourselves get obsessed with the Kort. And what happened to your decision to let the Starlings go so you could concentrate on protecting Wyatt from the evil Chris spoke of? You can't keep going after some invisible demon behind that failed plan."

"Not so invisible to Phoebe," Piper countered. "She was the one targeted and, thanks to the Dark Starling, she believes, once again, that she's the Charmed Ones' weak link. And she's sure the Kort will finish what the Dark Starling started for them."

"I'm not big on demon lore," Richard spoke thoughtfully, "but I've never heard of the Kort needing to mastermind an attack like the one using the Dark Starling. Especially considering how successful they've been on their own in separating the three of you while they go ahead with their attacks."

"You may have a point," Paige considered before she turned to Piper. "Just because they haven't defeated us yet doesn't mean we have an edge over them. We've managed to save the innocents in each of their attacks so far but you're probably right about it being only a matter of time before we lose one. So why would the Kort need a Dark Starling?"

"Who knows why demons team up? And does it really matter?" Piper sighed. "What does matter right now is Phoebe who's barely keeping it together."

Paige nodded, "This strong act of hers is finally starting to crack. Between keeping up appearances for us and at work, you know she still has nightmares from that horrible attack. And then with trying to move on after the breakup with Jason and knowing that What's-His-Name might pop in at any given moment, Phoebe's been pushing herself past the limit."

"His name is Cole," Piper chastised, "and your attitude towards him doesn't help." Before Paige could retort, Piper continued, "Look, I know you've been good about not deliberately bringing him up in front of her but, anti-empathic potion or not, she knows how you feel about him and I'm sure part of what's stressing her is that she's waiting for you to pounce on her about him."

"I do not pounce," Paige replied indignantly as she placed her hands on her hips and glared back at her older sister. "I suppose you've already forgiven him for everything and are happy knowing he's orbing around free somewhere? With your son's powers, I might add."

"No, I'm not," Piper sighed, "but as long as he stays away from us and we don't hear about him causing any trouble, it's none of our business what he does. Besides, Leo said we don't have to worry about Cole and I believe him. As for forgiveness, I haven't forgotten anything he did to us but he did save Phoebe."

"That's nothing new," Paige retorted. "I told you she's his weakness. But, how long, though, 'til he comes after us?"

Piper shook her head, looked down, and in a sad hushed voice said, "Paige, he tried to save Chris. He practically attacked Chris for what happened to Phoebe but, in the end, he still risked his life to save Chris." 

"He was trying to score points," Paige insisted.

Piper let the comment slide and tried to calmly explain the shift in her attitude about the former demon. "Cole had just been stripped of his powers…again…when all he'd done was what Phoebe wanted. She was dying. He could've left. But he didn't. He stayed and he tried to save Chris."

"You're okay that he tried to kill her?" Paige whispered harshly.

"Of course not," Piper exclaimed, "but we didn't know about their agreement. I'm still angry with Phoebe for choosing death as her way out but it was her choice and we ended up punishing him, changing his life forever, because of it. Because of our resentment and bitterness for him." Piper hugged herself and quietly admitted, "And I can't help but think that if we hadn't've acted the way we did and taken Cole's powers, he might've been able to save Chris. And I may not be crazy about Cole or want him back in our lives but I am thankful he tried to save my son and I can't, I won't, forget that."

Not exactly what she wanted to hear, Paige also didn't want to argue. Deep down, she knew no matter how much Cole might have reformed, she would never be able to accept back him into her life the way Piper might one day. She leaned against Richard who wrapped his arm around her waist. "Back to Pheebs," she said, "any ideas what we can do for her?"

"Maybe we can convince her to call in sick and have a sister-day with her," Piper suggested. "I did call Dad and he's making arrangements to visit and spend some quality time with her but it won't be for another week." She glanced at the empty staircase and added, "Maybe if we can find the Kort on our own and do the vanquish ourselves, it'll help."

"I don't know," Paige warily said, "didn't Leo warn us not to go after them separately? It might be dangerous to try vanquishing them without her."

"Even if you did, it'll only be some other demon haunting her," Richard told them. "I know you don't want to hear this but Phoebe's the only one who can get her through this. Believe me, I know all about being haunted by inner demons. You can have all the love and support you want from your family but, when it comes right down to it, you still have to deal with your problems in your own way." He kissed Paige's temple and suggested, "Let Phoebe be. Let her know you're both here for her but wait for her to come to you. She will when she's ready."

Piper nodded and patted Richard's arm in gratitude as she walked past the couple. "C'mon to the kitchen. I'll whip us up something to eat."

*********** ********** ************


	21. part twentyone

Part Twenty-One 

Phoebe crept along the wall of the dark warehouse and wondered for the hundredth time whether she was making a mistake in not alerting her sisters to the premonition that woke her. Leo had repeatedly warned them not to deliberately go after the Kort while separated. _'But Piper needs her rest,'_ she reasoned, _'and Paige needs some non-crisis time with Richard, and I wouldn't've been able to fall back sleep anyway. I can do this.'_

Things had been anything but quiet lately and she was sure it was related to Piper's pregnancy. _'Somehow they found out. The Underworld knows about the new baby and is more determined than ever to use that supposed weakness to kill us and take Wyatt.'_ And, once again, Phoebe swore she would never let anything happen to that child or to the coming baby. Chris. She smiled when she thought of him and how stupid they'd all been in not figuring out his identity while he'd been living with them. He'd all but given them the clues to put it together but they'd been blinded by his sincerely urgent need to protect Wyatt that they completely missed the obvious. Other than Paige and Wyatt, how many other half-Whitelighter/half-witches could there possibly be? _'It isn't the first time we've missed the obvious and,' _she sighed, _'it probably won't be the last.'_

But just because the Dark Starling hadn't succeeded in breaking the Power of Three didn't mean another demon wouldn't. _'And with Chris, the future Chris anyway, gone, it's now our responsibility to make sure that what he told us about the future doesn't come true.'_ And just because Piper and Paige wouldn't be killed until after Piper had delivered Chris, didn't mean they still wouldn't die by the end of the year. They were both still in danger. _'But I won't let it happen,' _she resolved with an angry shake of her head,_ 'just like I won't let Chris's death be meaningless. He lost his life protecting me, all of us, so I'm gonna make sure that he and Wyatt are protected now. I won't bring any more pain to this family.' _Her heart suddenly screamed that Cole would protect them but she sadly dismissed that thought. _'I was wrong about that. Cole's path isn't with ours or we'd have heard from him by now. He's doing whatever he's doing and I've gotta accept that once and for all.'_

A shadow flashing by interrupted her melancholy thoughts and Phoebe ducked between two tall stacks of crates. After a moment, and realizing she hadn't been caught, her heartbeat slowed to a more normal rhythm and she carefully continued down that aisle. A scream suddenly filled the air and she picked up her pace as she began to weave her way through the stacks. She now heard the all-too familiar low buzzing sound that preceded a Kort kill and, as she drew closer to its source, she gripped in her hand the vial containing the vanquishing potion and willed away the idea of calling home for help. 

She came upon a clearing, near the center of the warehouse, and, peeking around the corner of the stack in the darkness, was able to make out only the shapes of five figures. But she had seen only one Kort in her premonition and had therefore only armed herself with one vial of the potion. Could her premonition have been off? Maybe this wasn't the attack she'd envisioned. She had been overdoing it lately. _'What if I made a mistake?'_ But, just as she was about to give in and call Leo for help, a sudden burst of electricity from one of the "shadows" allowed her to see more clearly. _'Kort,'_ she acknowledged with dismay. There was no way she could leave now. And there was no longer enough time to call for help.

The four lean dark demons, cloaked in their tattered black rags, surrounded a young man who was dressed on the grungy side. He was definitely the innocent from her premonition. She watched when, as they closed in on him, he stepped back and tripped over a piece of pipe. He yelped in fear as he stumbled to the floor and, as all four demons sparked dangerously with electricity, Phoebe stepped into the open. "Hey, over here!"

The Kort spun around and Phoebe was momentarily surprised from the way their sharp white fangs glowed in the light of the blue-white electricity they were emitting. But when she became their target, she easily leaped up onto the top of the nearest stack. Wood exploded and splintered and she quickly hopped to the safety of another stack. "Run!" she shouted to her stunned innocent as she levitated over the scene and landed in front of him but behind the demons. She yanked him to his feet and pushed him into the aisle that would take him straight to the exit. "Go!" 

As Phoebe watched him run, pain sizzled her cheek and she fell to the floor. She shouted again to her innocent to keep running while she immediately rolled and scrambled to her feet, out of the line of fire of the advancing Kort. As she darted to the right and dove behind a heavy metal desk, she threw her vial at them. Shrieks of anger came through the thick grey smoke and she held her breath in anticipation of the vanquish. But, as she'd feared, the potion wasn't enough to vanquish them all. Even before the smoke had completely cleared, two remaining Kort, crackling again with electricity, were advancing menacingly toward her.

Taking a chance, Phoebe ran to her left but she tripped over the same pipe her innocent had and she stumbled to the floor. She instinctively covered her face from the incoming electric shock but shrieks from the demons forced her to look. As she turned her head, she caught sight of them being flung away from her into another of the tall stacks of crates. 

"Run!"

Phoebe's heart pounded when she recognized his voice and she looked up. But the demons were quick to recover and she wasted no more time heeding his order. She ran in the opposite direction of the Kort but still narrowly missed being hit in the back by a bolt. With the darkness providing some cover, she weaved her way through the maze of stacks but a nearby shriek, followed quickly by an explosion of wood, sent Phoebe jumping to safety on top of the stacks. Panting heavily, she looked down and tried to spot the Kort. And him. And then, in spite of the darkness, she recognized his silhouette in the aisle below her. But the Kort were right behind him. "Cole! Look out!"

Cole turned, orbed away from the electric attack, and joined her on top of the stack. "What the hell are you doing here alone?" But she said nothing and he quickly toned down his anger. "Are you okay?"

"You have Prue's power," she whispered with bittersweet emotion.

Unsure what to say, Cole simply answered, "Among others." Crates below them suddenly exploded and, the instant they began to tumble, he grabbed hold of Phoebe's hand and orbed them to safety, a few stacks away. But one of the Kort suddenly appeared on top of a stack opposite them. "Throw your potion!"

"I already used the only one I had," she told him. He growled a curse and she quickly explained, "I'd only seen one Kort in my vision so I only took enough for one. I'm lucky I vanquished two with it." She jumped from the sound of another explosion beneath them and she looked down into the aisle to find a dark shadow heading their way. "One's coming."

"C'mon," Cole growled as he grabbed her arm, "let's get out of here."

But, as they began to orb, Phoebe pulled herself free from his grip. And she didn't have to see him clearly to know he was angry. "I won't let them go," she announced, ducking from another bolt, "not again. They're responsible for the Dark Starling attack and they won't quit 'til the Charmed Ones are broken. And I'm not gonna wait 'til I lose an innocent to do something about them. I'm gonna keep going after them and vanquishing them until the Kort are a thing of the past."

"The Kort weren't responsible," he calmly told her as he orbed her to the safety of a stack at the far end of the warehouse. He felt her tense and admitted, "A trio of Lardin were behind that plot to kill you but you don't have to worry about them."

"What, what do you mean?" she nervously asked as she unconsciously took a step back from him.

"I took care of them," he replied in an unapologetic tone. Another explosion reminded him of the immediate danger and he again demanded, "How could you come here alone and unarmed? Didn't Leo warn you about going after the Kort alone? How could you risk everything for a little revenge?"

"It's not revenge," she retorted. "Maybe they weren't behind the attack against me but they've been on a killing spree for months and we have to stop them." Her hands clenched into fists and she snapped, "And I'm not one of your charges so don't go all Whitelighter on me!" 

"It's got nothing to do with Whitelighters and witches," he impatiently declared, "and everything to do with practicality and rationality. You came here alone, unprepared for a group of Kort, and almost single-handedly broke the Power of Three for them. I saw the way you levitated. You're exhausted and are in no shape for a confrontation of any kind." 

"I'm perfectly fine," she angrily countered as she gave him a shove backwards. "I'll get rid of them myself so you can just orb back to wherever the hell you've been for the past three months!"

"Like hell," he muttered. "We're leaving together," he announced, "whether you like it or not." Suddenly, a flash of blue-white light radiated from Phoebe's back and, to his shock, she fell forward into his arms. "Phoebe!" He knelt with her on top of the crate and he looked up to see both Kort demons coming for them. With one angry motion of his hand, he flung the Kort across the warehouse, smashing them into the wall.

His sudden movement caused Phoebe to moan and she coughed painfully. "Cole…" she croaked.

Cole immediately focused on her and shifted her in his arms so that he had better access to her back. He could barely see in the dark but he could smell her burnt clothing and skin. "Shhh," he quietly soothed, "it'll be okay." He held his hand just above her wound and watched as it began to glow. "You're gonna be fine," he promised while he buried the fear he felt when his glowing hand revealed just how badly she'd been hurt.

After a few moments, Phoebe no longer felt intense burning in her back. She moved slightly and he helped her sit. "I don't understand," she murmured with a cough as she turned to face him. She couldn't see him clearly and couldn't quite make out his emotions. "How?" she asked with another cough.

"Another one of Chris's powers," he replied as he brought his hand to her chest and watched as it glowed. "Never thought I'd have to use it on you," he added as an after-thought.

"But he couldn't heal as an adult," she commented in confusion while she tried taking a deep breath. "I figured he lost the power at some point when he was growing up." She cautiously took another deep breath and nodded to herself with satisfaction when she didn't cough. She tenderly touched her bad cheek and couldn't suppress a groan.

Realizing she'd been hurt earlier, Cole held his hand above her cheek and watched as the wound healed. The glowing from his hand faded and Cole's fingers brushed against her skin when he moved away his hand. After a split second of that familiar yearning, Cole remembered they no longer had a future together and stood up. Even though it was dark, he still turned his back to her and tried not to even picture her face. "Chris still had the power," he explained. "But it had atrophied to the point where he no longer knew it could be accessed again."

Something suddenly whizzed past her and thunked into the crate and Phoebe felt for the object. "An arrow," she whispered with horror as she glanced in Cole's direction. Another whizzed by her and she screamed, "Darklighter!"

Cole grabbed her and orbed to the safety of one of the stacks behind their attacker. He waved his arm and sent the Darklighter crashing to the floor.

"Call for the bow," she told him.

"My power doesn't work like Paige's," he replied simply. "Time to go."

"No, wait, I know how we can get them all," she insisted when she caught sight of the recovered Kort. The Darklighter suddenly appeared in their path too. "Orb between them," she instructed. "Between one of the Kort and the Darklighter. The Kort will aim for you and, as soon as you orb away, it'll hit the Darklighter."

"The Darklighter's the least of our concern," he disagreed. "We'd still have the Kort to deal with. You have to know when to give up," he advised. _'A lesson I've learned all too recently.'_

_'He's talking about me,'_ she understood. But Phoebe hid her disappointment and quickly explained the rest of her plan. "Once the Darklighter's gone, I'll levitate between the two Kort and, just as they each fire at me, you'll orb me away so that the two will destroy each other."

"That," Cole began to argue before he realized, "that just might work." He pushed her away from the path of an incoming electric bolt and asked if she was ready.

_'That Darklighter can kill him,'_ she feared before she composed herself. "Go."

Just as Phoebe planned, Cole's orbing between the Kort and Darklighter resulted in the destruction of the Darklighter. And, before the stunned Kort could react, he'd orbed back to Phoebe's side. "Are you sure?" he worried. "I can still get you out of here."

"Trust me," she quietly requested before she impulsively pulled him close and kissed him passionately. _'What the hell'd I do that for?'_ she angrily thought and, just as Cole began to speak, she immediately levitated out of reach.

_'What the hell was that for?'_ Stunned, Cole stood there unmoving until an electric bolt hit the crate near his feet. He looked at the demons and, from the glow of their electricity, saw Phoebe land between them. His heart stopped as he waited for the Kort to face Phoebe. He moved the instant they fired at her and he could almost feel the burn from their bolts as he orbed her to safety.

On top of one of the few remaining whole stacks, the couple turned just as the Kort exploded in a shower of sparks. The explosion rocked the warehouse and both Phoebe and Cole stood silently as they watched the sparks dissipate.

*********** ********** **************__**


	22. part twentytwo

**_Part Twenty-Two_****__**

"It's over.  You did it," he announced as he turned away.

"We did it," she quietly acknowledged. "How'd you know about Chris?" she wondered as she reached for him.  

Cole stiffened under her touch.  "As I was learning how to use them, I researched my powers. And Chris.  You don't need to know anything more than I found a source.  Not literally," he quickly added.

"I didn't think so," she politely assured him. Not only was he shutting her out, he was also blocking her.  _'Why'd I kiss him?'_ she groaned inwardly.  She couldn't sense his emotions but she imagined he was just as confused. "Are you okay?"

Whether he was more surprised by her inquiry or her sincerity, Cole wasn't sure.  _'But I certainly don't want to talk,'_ he maintained to himself.  "Goodbye, Phoebe."

Phoebe dropped her hand as if she'd been slapped. "I ask if you're okay and all you can say is goodbye?"

He turned back to face her even though he couldn't see her clearly in the darkness.  "Is there really anything left to say?"

Without thinking, Phoebe formed a fist and let it fly straight into Cole's jaw.  "You son of a bitch!"

Sprawled on top of the crate, Cole lightly rubbed his jaw.  _'What the hell just happened?'_

Before either could say or do anything else, Leo orbed in next to them.  "What the hell is going on?" he fumed when, in the fading orb light, he took notice of Cole's position on the crate.  "How could you go after the Kort, Phoebe? And, you, Cole, you knew a Darklighter'd been hired.  How could you expose yourself to the danger?"

"You know me well enough to know, I don't run from a fight," Cole retorted.

"You were involved with the Kort and couldn't warn us? Warn me? Oh, wait, was that what you were doing tonight? Just waiting for me to be trapped so that you could save the day and I'd fall gratefully into your arms?" Phoebe ranted.

"Hardly," he retorted.  "Believe me, babe, I've finally learned my lesson.  And, for the record, I had it all under control tonight.  You were the one who nearly blew it."

"Enough!" Leo declared.  "I don't care why each of you ended up here.  You were both wrong."

Phoebe suddenly spun to face Leo, "And you. You knew the Kort were working with others? They've been the main cause of all our problems from the past three months and you didn't see fit to give us all the details? Haven't you learned from the past when we were screwed because the Elders kept parts of the truth from us?"

Leo ignored her questions and continued to seethe. "How many times in the past three months have I told you and your sisters not to go after the Kort alone? I told you the time would come when you'd be ready to face them together.  You needed to wait.  You can't keep taking foolish chances, Phoebe."

"I wasn't going to lose an innocent to them!" she angrily told him.  "We came too close tonight, Leo, to losing two."

"Losing one!" he practically shouted.  "You lost the second one!"  At her stunned silence, he continued in a cool tone, "Your innocent tonight was so terrified when he ran from the warehouse that he ran blindly down the alley and was hit by a speeding car.  The fact that the driver was drunk and would've crashed into the hydrant anyway doesn't lessen the fact that now he'd have to live for the rest of his life with the knowledge that he killed another human being."

"That can't be," she whispered in disbelief.

"You saved him, though," Cole stated at the same time.

"I shouldn't've had to save him," Leo angrily replied.  "Rules aren't created to punish you.  They're to help you, guide you.  You both should've listened and stayed away."

But Phoebe was only half-listening.  She'd done her best and saved an innocent only to have him die anyway? Or did he? Leo didn't actually confirm that her innocent had died.  "You saved him, didn't you?" she quietly inquired. "He's okay, isn't he?" she added with a touch of desperation.

Leo took a deep breath and nodded, "Both he and the driver will be fine.  And neither will have any memory of what happened.  Of what almost happened."  But he didn't let her feel relief for too long and gestured angrily at them both.  "You've got to learn that you can't bend the rules to suit your needs. Get back to the manor.  I still have some more to clean up but I want you both to wait for me."

"Leo, she didn't ha--" Cole started to say.

"Save it, Cole," Leo interrupted.  "For once, do as you're told."

"But it's not his --" Phoebe began.

"Go!" Leo ordered.  "And make sure both Piper and Paige join you.  There are going to be some changes made tonight."

********************* ************

Paige sat stiffly on Richard's lap in the chair and glared at Cole who stood silently off to the side.  "How much longer?" she grumbled, unable to find comfort in Richard's arms wrapped around her waist.

"I presume until Leo gets here," Piper yawned before she leaned back against the sofa and caught a glimpse of her other sister watching Cole with a more thoughtful gaze than Paige's.  She patted Phoebe's thigh and asked, "Sure you're okay?" Phoebe nodded and Piper pulled her blanket tighter around herself and asked again, "And the Kort were all vanquished?"

"Yes, Piper," Phoebe tiredly reassured her. Unable to look again at Cole, she stood and announced, "I'm going to bed."

Cole stared at her in surprise, "What about Leo?"

"What about him?" she snapped.  "I think Elder Leo made his point crystal clear at the warehouse and I'm too tired to hear his angry lecture again."

"Well you'll still hear it from me, missy," Piper warned her.  "How could you go there alone? It was the middle of the night, Phoebe, and you didn't even leave me a note.  You could've been killed and we never would've known."

"I would've come back to tell you," Phoebe promised.

"That's not even funny," Piper frowned in disapproval.  "You know better."

"Leo warned us about going after them alone," Paige joined in.  "You not only risked your life, Phoebe, but all of ours."

"I was trying to protect our lives," Phoebe hissed.  "And I can't believe the two of you.  You're only angry because I did what you've both wanted to do for weeks."

"That's not the point," Piper calmly told her. "Phoebe, we're upset because you didn't tell us first.  This isn't the first time in recent weeks that you've taken risks upon yourself in the name of protecting this family.  But, honey, that's not your job alone."

"The Charmed Ones are a team," Paige concurred. "And that means we each share in the responsibility of protecting this family and our innocents.  We don't go running off in the middle of the night to fight demons against impossible odds.  Certainly not without having the courtesy of first letting our sisters know."

"We work together," Piper added, "we fight together."

"Too bad none of you listen together," Leo said when he orbed into the room.

"I'm sorry you all have a problem with what happened tonight but I did what I thought best," Phoebe stated above her sisters' protests.  "Goodbye," she told Cole as she strode past everyone and headed for the stairs.

"Not yet, Phoebe," Leo called out.  "What I'm about to say also pertains to you and I want you to hear it straight from me."  While he waited for her to return, he suddenly realized Richard was sitting there.  "You don't have to stay."

Richard glanced up at Paige and, when she squeezed his hand, he told Leo, "Yeah, I do."

"Fine," Leo nodded, "then all of you listen up. From this moment on, you will start considering the consequences of your actions before you act.  You will be more mindful of warnings and rules.  You will start listening."

"We do listen," Paige insisted.

"When it's convenient," he countered. "Believe me, I know how you operate and I know how successful you've been.  The Charmed Ones are a true force to be reckoned with which's why you've often deserved the leeway you've been given.  But lately it's been hard even for me to justify some of your actions when it seems that, in some ways, you haven't grown at all in six years."  He recognized the anger smoldering in Piper's eyes and he held up his hand to stop her before she began to speak.  "I know about the sacrifices you've each made for magic.  I know what you've each lost and I know how badly you've each been hurt.  But there comes a time when you've got to accept that you're not the sole force fighting for good.  And that you're not the best.   That there are others who might, on occasion, actually know better. You've got to learn when to hold on.  And know when to let go."

Phoebe recognized that phrase and held Cole's gaze for a moment before she turned toLeo and shrugged, "So what now? We're on probation? We get punished for fighting evil the only way we know how?"

"Did you hear a word I said?" he asked sharply. "Stop taking everything so personally, Phoebe.  All of you. You're not being punished. We're not out to get you or to make your lives miserable."

"Well, maybe if we were clued in on the important things," Paige complained, "we wouldn't feel like we were winging it all the time and then maybe we wouldn't need to behaving this conversation at three in the morning."

Piper's heart pounded and she asked hopefully, "Leo, are you saying that you're coming back to guide us?"

"No," he replied in a softer tone.  He hoped she could still read his expression and understand that he wished it were different.  He gave a slight cough and announced, "But you have been assigned a new Whitelighter.  Effective immediately."

Piper tried not to let her disappointment show. She knew it'd been wishful thinking to hope that Leo would return permanently.  She tried to convey her understanding as she gazed back at him even as she tried to continue a normal conversation.  "I thought none of the Whitelighters wanted to work with us."

"That's true," he nodded with a silent promise to spend time with her alone, "for all the reasons I've told you. Nevertheless, you've proven that you're still too reckless on your own and you need the guidance."  He turned to Cole, "Say hello to your new charges."

"What?!" Cole and Paige exclaimed at the same time.

"You need guidance and a mentor," Leo told the sisters.  "And you," he told Cole, "need to learn how to trust in goodness and to work as part of a team."

"This isn't fair," Paige muttered.

Leo sighed and repeated, "This isn't a punishment. I know you, all of you," he added pointedly as he watched Cole, "and I know where your strengths and weaknesses lie.  And it's time each of you acknowledged and accepted both.  You need to learn from one another so that you can grow and fulfill your destinies to your full potential."  He glanced at all parties and suggested, "Why don't you all get some sleep now? I'll be back tomorrow to tell you about your first assignment as a team."

"Like we can fall asleep now," Paige grumbled as soon as Leo orbed out of the room.

"Paige…" Piper sighed understanding her youngest sister's feelings.  She turned to Cole, "This isn't going to be easy."

"For me either," he acknowledged.  "But it seems we have no choice."

"As always," Paige uttered when she suddenly stood. "No matter what Leo's ordered," she informed him, "you can't expect us to welcome you back with open arms."

"I don't," he somberly told her.  "But I do expect you to cooperate.  Leo's right about one thing.  You do need a mentor and you can certainly learn a lot from me."

"Respect is a two-way street, Cole," Piper said. "It's got to be earned.  And that takes time."

"Agreed," Cole nodded.

"I hate this," Paige shook her head.

Richard stood and placed his hand on her arm, "C'mon, let's go home.  It'll look better in the morning."

"No, it won't," she replied as she pushed his hand away.  "I told you what he did to me.  To all of us. But you don't know.  Not really.  You weren't there.  You didn't see."

"I can't keep apologizing for what the Source did to me," Cole snapped.  "And I can't keep apologizing for suffering the consequences of escaping the Wasteland.  And I certainly won't keep apologizing for the way I was brought up. You were right," he said as he glanced from Paige to Piper, "Prue was right.  Once a demon, always a demon.  I can't change the past and I won't live in it any longer. I am who I am and I've accepted it.  And it's time for you to accept it too."

"You've changed in three months," Piper realized.

"I had no choice," he told her, "and I don't expect from you anything more than an open mind to the possibility that I might just be able to help you for no other reason than the fact that I want to."

"But you don't," Paige insisted.  "You don't want this any more than I do."

"Maybe I didn't," he admitted, "until this moment. Maybe now I need to prove something."

"To us?" Piper warily asked.

He nodded.  "And to myself," he added.

Paige tugged on Richard's sleeve, "I think I'd like to go home now." 

"I can't do this," Phoebe quietly announced just as Piper hugged Paige.

Surprised, Paige pulled back and commented, "I would've thought out of all of us you'd be the most happy."

Phoebe shrugged helplessly, "I can't be caught in the middle anymore. I can't keep defending any of you to each other anymore."  Both of her sisters were about to interrupt and she shook her head as her eyes welled with tears. "I know you, Paige, and I know that even if he proved it a million times over you will never see Cole as the good man he is.  And I know you, Piper, and I know that no matter how many times Cole might save us, it will never make you forget what he tried to do to you while you were pregnant with Wyatt or what happened to Chris in our attic.  And I know you, Cole," she continued as her tears fell, "and I know that no matter how much we all back off, you will never forget how we, how I, kept turning you away especially when you needed me the most.  Maybe a truce will work for a few days or even a few weeks but what happens when the resentments start creeping back into our words, our actions? I can't keep waiting for the explosion that's eventually going to happen.  I won't be able to handle it."

Paige and Piper both pulled Phoebe into their arms and each promised her that everything would be okay.

"It's just gonna take some time," Piper softly promised.  "Give us a chance, Pheebs."

"Give us all a chance," Cole added from the side.

Phoebe disentangled herself from her sisters and sniffled.  After a moment, she agreed with a silent nod.

Paige kissed her, "Get some sleep, honey, I'll see you in the morning."

As soon as Paige and Richard orbed out, Piper glanced at the couple standing before her.  "See you in the morning, Cole."

"Yeah, sure," he responded, not quite taking his eyes off Phoebe.

"Well, then," Piper awkwardly replied when she realized the two still needed to talk, "I'm off to bed."  She hugged Phoebe and whispered, "I'm your sister and I will always love you.  No matter what."

"Love you too," Phoebe replied before she cleared her throat.  She watched Piper leave and climb the stairs before she wiped her eyes and turned back to Cole. "I need some air."  And, before he could say anything, she walked out.

Cole followed her out to the back patio and watched her gaze at the sky.  "Make a wish?"

She shook her head and didn't turn around. "The clouds are out.  It's too dark. Besides," she added, "wishes don't always come true."  He didn't respond and she faced him, "I didn't thank you for saving me at the warehouse.  It shouldn't've mattered why you were there and I should've been more grateful."

"I'm sorry I let it go too far before I acted," he apologized.  "Why?" he suddenly asked.

"I don't know," she quietly admitted.

"You don't know why you hit me?" he exclaimed in disbelief.

"Hit you?" she echoed in surprise.  "I thought you meant…"

He suddenly smiled and shook his head, "I know why you did that."

"Then maybe you can explain it to me," she mumbled to herself before she cleared her throat again.  "I, um, hit you because I was angry."  He raised his eyebrow and she frowned, "And it's all coming back to me again.  How could you not contact me? I called you but for three months I didn't hear one word from you.  Leo knew I was worried and I know he spent a lot of time with you.  I shouldn't have to hear from him that you're okay and that I should stop calling."

"I don't believe this," he complained as he turned away.  "I can't believe you were mad because I gave you what you wanted."  He spun back to face her.  "I left you alone.  I let you move on.  With Jason.  Why would I want to talk to you when all you'd do is keep hammering it into me that I've got to be good? I thought you had more faith in me that.  Now I know I made the right choice in staying away."

Phoebe slugged him in the jaw again.  "You idiot!"

Cole rubbed his jaw and glared at her, "Paige is right.  This'll never work."

As soon as he began to orb, Phoebe grabbed him and shouted, "I was worried about you!  About how you were coping with the loss of Belthazor and the gain of Chris's powers.  I was concerned about you being forced to start a new life without any support.  It never crossed my mind for even one moment to think that you'd turn back to evil."  

Cole stared back at her with his mouth half-open, unable to find his voice.  

Phoebe shook her head. "I thought it might be hard for you and that you'd want someone to talk to.  Someone you could trust."  She glared at him, "Obviously I was wrong."  She pushed past him to leave but he grabbed her arm.  "What?"

"I'm sorry," he finally said as he released her arm. "I thought…I thought a clean break would be best for all of us.  I didn't want to interfere in your relationship with Jason."

"And what about when it was over?" she challenged. "Leo told me you knew. I thought that after the Dark Starling we might've begun a new path.  Not recapturing what we had but something different. Why didn't you come back then?"

"I had my reasons," he quietly told her.

But Phoebe was unable to let it go.  "Such as?"

Cole sighed, "Such as I knew Jason was the one who ended the relationship, not you.  I've been there, Phoebe.  I know what it feels like to love someone and be told it's not enough. I know what it's like to feel rejected even if it was meant with the best of intentions.  If I'd come to you, you'd've thought I was flinging the past back in your face.  You'd've accused me of being happy to see you that way.  That's not what I wanted.  And even if that wouldn't've been the case, if I had come back and told you I wanted to try again, that things would be different, can you honestly say you wouldn't've turned me away anyway? I wasn't ready to risk my heart for you again."

"And now?" she whispered.  "What happens now?"

"Now we get a few hours sleep," he decided.  "And then we take each day as it comes."

"It'll never be the same again," she sadly realized, "will it?"

"No," he agreed as he orbed away, "it'll sure as hell be different.  But maybe that's not such a bad thing."

*********** ********** ************

"Leo!" Piper whispered loudly as she stopped pacing and looked up at the ceiling. "Get your butt down here!"

A moment later, he orbed into her bedroom.  "You need your sleep, Piper.  It's not good for the baby to be up this late."

"Leave Chris out of this," she demanded.  "I can't believe you didn't tell us, tell me, that you were making Cole our Whitelighter."

"It wasn't planned," he assured her.  "Believe me, Piper, Cole asked me three months ago not to make him your Whitelighter."

"He what?" she asked in surprise.

Leo nodded, "He was afraid that, due to the circumstances, and the fact that he…inherited Halliwell powers, it'd be a no-brainer.  But, at the time, I was able to oblige his request."

"And now?" she warily inquired.

"It's exactly like I told you.  Like it or not, you need each other."  He reached over and caressed her belly, "Chris came into our lives for a reason, Piper, and we owe it to him to give him, and his brother, the best future possible."

Piper placed her hand on Leo's and couldn't help but smile before she chuckled.  "If you think about it, Chris actually caused his own conception."  Leo looked puzzled and she grinned, "If he hadn't've thought of bringing Cole back, I wouldn't've freaked out and, well, you know…"

"I know," he smiled before he kissed her on her forehead.  "Get some sleep.  We'll deal with the rest tomorrow."

His lips lingered on her skin and she closed her eyes and used the moment to hold his arms.  "It'll never be the same."

"No," he agreed with a comforting smile as he pulled back, "but that doesn't mean it'll be bad."  He kissed her again, "Give it some time, Piper.  I promise it'll get better.  The future holds such promise for this family, you just have to be willing to accept it."

"You'd better be right," she warned him, "or your children will be the ones who have to pay."

"Trust me," he softly requested.  "Believe in me, and in each other, and you'll find the magic again."

"I didn't think we'd lost it," she suddenly teased as she led him to the bed and invited him to join her.

He hesitated, "I thought we agreed this wasn't a good idea anymore."

"Some pregnant women crave pickles," Piper grinned as she unbuttoned his shirt, "I crave the father of my children."

Unable to resist, Leo pulled her close, "Who am I to deny a pregnant woman her craving?"

"C'mere, Elder Leo," she teased as she reached over and turned out the light, "and prove that Whitelighters don't have all the fun." 

And he did.

*********** ********** ************


	23. epilogue one

**_Epilogue One_**

**_Twenty-Three Years Later…_**

"Hey, Chris," Phoebe breathlessly called out as she caught up to her nephew in the park, "have you seen Randi?"

"No," he quickly answered before he, almost guiltily, turned to face her.  But when his aunt muttered a curse, he pointed to a nearby area and admitted, "Well, I did hear a screech from some little girl on that bench not too long ago."

"I swear that five-year old's giving me more gray hair than all her siblings combined," she sighed when she finally spotted a giggling brown-haired girl crouched in the bushes.

He chuckled, "You sound like a broken record."

"Beloved nephew or not," she threatened, "I can still turn you into a toad."  She heard more giggles and was again alerted to her youngest child.  "How many times have I told her not to practice magic in public or on the public? And why isn't she with Alex?"

"Um, Brian Donahue showed up with some friends," Chris sheepishly revealed, "and I sorta told Alex I'd keep an eye on Randi so she could talk to him before we started."

"You didn't," she groaned.  "Alex knows better than to pawn off her babysitting duties on others.  And you know better than to encourage Randi and don't even try telling me it was to help her practice her powers."  She then called out, "Miranda!  Over here now!"  But the little girl didn't hear or, more likely, was pretending not to, and Phoebe groaned, "Grams is up there laughing her head off."  She glanced up to the golden-red sky, "You never had it like this!"

"'Cuz Grams didn't have seven witches to raise," he chuckled again.  "It's what you get for being such a busy little Halliwell bunny."  But his aunt wasn't amused so he shrugged an apology, "How 'bout this? I'll catch the little devil for you if you talk to Mom for me."

"Why should I make a deal with you when you didn't do what you were supposed to?"  His smile suddenly disappeared and her annoyance quickly turned into concern.  "What's wrong?"

"Mom's in her I-can't-have-a-demon-in-the-family mode."  He threw his hands up, "It's not like Bianca and I are getting married tomorrow but why can't Mom understand how we feel about each other?"

"She does," Phoebe assured the young man before her.  "She knows exactly how serious you and Bianca are but you have to try and understand her feelings, Chris.  She's lived through the I-can't-have-a-demon-in-the-family thing with me and Cole and everyone got hurt."

"But that was twenty-five years ago and Bianca isn't Cole," he stated indignantly.

"I know," she patiently responded.  "And so does your mother.  But as good as Bianca might be, as pure as her intentions are, she can't fight her inner nature.  She will always be a demon and that scares your mother.  She loves you, sweetie, every bit as much as she loves your brother, and she wants you both to find love and happiness but she doesn't want either of you to suffer for it in the process.  Love doesn't always mean a happy ending even when a demon's not involved."

"I know what Mom and Dad went through," he quietly acknowledged, "but everyone knows they still love each other. Mom and Dad's we're-only-discussing-the-kids meetings stopped fooling Wyatt and me when we were kids.  And none of her relationships held a candle to what she and Dad have.  I'm not saying she didn't love these guys.  I'm sure she did, hell, she married one of them.  But how long did it last before he couldn't handle this crazy family anymore? A year? Two? And through it all, Dad was still there.  They don't mean to but they can't help feeling the way they do about each other and it'll never change and I don't think either of them even want it to. Don't you see, Aunt Phoebe, some people are just meant to be together."

"Like you and Bianca?" she warily inferred.

Chris nodded, "And aren't you the one who's always saying that we have to follow our hearts? And you of all people know what Bianca and I are going through.  Can't you talk to Mom and convince her that it's okay for us to be together?"

"You and Bianca are facing an incredible hardship," she shook her head, "in order to be together and I can't tell you that it's okay.  I'm sorry, Chris, but sometimes love isn't enough.  Believe me, I know.  Besides, if Piper truly sets her mind to something," Phoebe cautiously added, "not even I can change her mind."

"I love Bianca," he implored, "and I want to spend my life with her."

"You're barely twenty-two," she somberly told him, "and still idealistic about good and evil was well as love and hate.  You and Bianca may be in love now but you don't know what tomorrow will bring."

"How cliché," he muttered.

"How true," she countered.  "Chris, the dividing lines between good and evil and love and hate are so incredibly thin and fragile.  Believe me, you don't want to learn your lesson the hard way."  But she couldn't bear to see his crestfallen expression and she hugged him.  "But I do understand how you feel and I'll talk to her when things settle down a bit."

Chris excitedly pulled away.  "You're the best, Aunt Pheebs!"

"It may not change her mind," she quickly reminded him.

"I know," he accepted with a nod, "but it's a start."

She heard a fresh batch of giggles and frowned.  "Miranda!  Now!  I mean it, young lady!"

"I'll get her," he said.  "Y'know, if we don't get this over with soon, Wyatt'll have to leave."

"I don't get it," she teased, "you've never had a problem before with being the center of attention."  

"Why won't anyone listen to me?" he complained.  "I had nothing to do with this."

"But you did," Phoebe shook her head and gave a slight smile, "and you'll understand soon enough."  She checked her watch and sighed, "It'll be dark soon."  Her mind wandered for a moment and she thought of her absentee husband, _'I wish you were here.'  _Instead, she told Chris, "Go get Randi."  He seemed puzzled by her sudden change in emotion so she assured him, "I'll be right there."  He hesitated a moment before he turned away and Phoebe watched him sneak up on her daughter and raise the little girl high into the air.  Miranda shrieked with delight when Chris swung her around and Phoebe smiled thoughtfully as she watched the two cousins race out-of-sight to the family's gathering spot.

"And what has the most beautiful advice columnist-slash-TV hostess smiling right now?"

Startled, Phoebe spun and let out a breath of relief.  "Jason! When did you get back?" While she enthusiastically hugged him, she continued, "I thought you weren't coming back until Monday. How was Thailand?"

"Exotic," he grinned as he pulled back and looked her over.  "Successful.  And I wasn't lying, you are beautiful."

She slapped him lightly on his arm with the back of her hand, "Liar.  I'm completely exhausted and I know it shows."

"You're glowing," he disagreed with a smile, "and it's not from the sunset."  She merely smiled gratefully and he indicated to the basket next to his feet, "It seems my wife's not expecting me back until Monday.  Think she'd enjoy a surprise picnic dinner in the park?"

"Hate to break it to you, but it's practically December," she shook her head apologetically, "we're in a cold snap and an outdoor picnic doesn't sound too appealing."

"Maybe you're right," he considered before an idea set off a sparkle in his eye, "maybe I should move the reunion to a warmer, more indoor, location."

"Now you're talking," Phoebe laughed pleasantly.

"Something funny?" a deep voice suddenly asked.

Phoebe frowned from the tone of the question but still turned around to face the inquirer.  And the fact that Cole's expression matched his tone didn't bode well for the rest of her evening.  "What's wrong?"

"We need to talk," he replied.  He stared at Jason and deliberately added, "Alone."

"Cole," Jason greeted uncomfortably.  While he and Cole were cordial enough on most occasions, he knew when to back off and this was one of those times.  

Cole barely acknowledged Jason before he informed Phoebe, "I need Matt, Alex, and Sam.  Get them."

"Don't order me around!" she snapped while she stood her ground.  "And I'm certainly not getting any of them until you tell me what this's all about."

"A Drander's on the loose," he answered with a warning glance to Jason. 

"No way!" she exclaimed.  "You are not using my children again," she emphatically stated.

"Would you rather I use Paige's?" he quipped as his heart fluttered with unexpected excitement.  Even after all this time, he and Paige still couldn't resist even the smallest opportunity to get on each other's back.  Never to the point of actually doing harm but still…The sudden annoyance he was feeling made him stare at Phoebe and he realized that she had to be pretty mad if she was projecting her emotion directly to him.  "Could've been a good compromise," he muttered. 

"Dammit, Cole," she slapped his chest, "that wouldn't've been any funnier if you were still a demon and believe me there are some days I wish you were just so I could vanquish you all over again.  Angel-boy or not, you know when you push my buttons you're just asking for a --"

Cole gripped her wrists and pushed her back a step while he interrupted her growing rant.  "The girls are practically adults and are more than ready for this and Matt is just itching to prove himself."

"He's only eight!" she practically shouted and struggled in his grip.

Unconcerned by Jason's offensive step forward, Cole still released her hands and shook his head, "They need to practice as a team and this Drander's young.  They'll be fine."

"You said the last one was young and it nearly killed Matt!" she spat.

Cole's face darkened.  "That was an accident and you know better than to bri--"

Jason glanced from one furious face to the other but knew better than to interrupt what was bound to be one of their full-blown fights.  Unfortunately, Cole wasn't the only one who knew which buttons to push.  Phoebe could give as good as she got.  So he picked up the basket and excused himself, "I'd better go."  He glared at Cole but told Phoebe, "Let me know that everything's okay."

"I'm sorry, Jason," Phoebe quickly apologized to him.  "It's just…you know."

"Honey, after twenty years of helping cover for you, I know," Jason smiled reassuringly, "and, believe me, I don't need to know the gory details."  He kissed her cheek before he stared coolly at Cole.  "Cole." 

Cole didn't say anything.  He merely gave a curt nod while he clenched his fists and concentrated on not sending the man flying across the park, picnic basket and all.

Phoebe watched Cole watch Jason stride down the path and she frowned.  "You could've been more polite," she rebuked.  "He just got off the plane after a six-week business trip and only wanted to surprise his wife with a romantic picnic."

"So in the meantime he hits on my wife?" he barked.

"Jason and I have been over for more than twenty years!" She placed her hands on her hips as her own temper flared.  "I can't believe you're still jealous!  He's been happily married to Michelle for ten years while you and I have been ha--"

"We don't have time for this," Cole interrupted.  "The Drander's out there."

"And it'll wait another hour," she maintained through clenched teeth.  "Wyatt has to leave for his rounds at the hospital and I pushed off the start for as long as possible in the hopes that you'd show up.  I can't believe you were out demon hunting when you know how important this gathering is to me."

"But --"

"No, buts," she angrily said.  "The Drander can wait.  Why isn't this date just as important to you?"

"It is!" he argued.  "Or was I imagining your satisfaction during this morning's private celebration?"

"Of course not," she snapped.

"Then why are we arguing?" he suddenly groaned.

"Because you're being a jackass," she hissed.  "And if you dare suggest any other reason, you'll find yourself a jackass with a black eye."  Before he could say anything, she continued, "You always weasel out of these family gatherings."

"I do not!" he protested.  "I'm there every single damned time."

"Because I bribe you with favors," she reminded him with exasperation.  A leering grin slowly appeared on his face and, in the hope of not letting her anger melt away into desire, Phoebe turned away.  "I can't believe that this time you'd use your own children as your excuse."

"The Drander's not an excuse," he growled.  "The danger's real."

"And so am I!" she practically cried as she spun back, stepped close to him, and pressed her palms to his chest.  "I was brought back from death and so were you.  Why can't you see?" she sniffled before she took a deep breath and tried to reign in her emotions.   "You're as much a part of this celebration as Chris and I want you there, Cole.  I need you there."

"Phoebe, I --"

"Just kiss her and get it over with already," a youthful voice suggested.  The pair watched her approach and the tall lithe brunette merely shrugged, "It's what you both want and, believe me, I'd rather not have this power to know how much."

Phoebe glanced up at her husband and finally smiled.  "You won't listen to me, listen to your daughter."

Cole gratefully complied before he teased his wife, "At least we know who Pat gets her brains from."

"Yeah, from her Uncle Leo," their daughter muttered while she rolled her eyes.

"Don't be smart," both parents warned simultaneously before each wrapped an arm around their eldest daughter.  

They'd managed only a few steps before Pat suddenly stopped.  She stared at her mother in shock and found herself unable to speak.

Cole shared a concerned glance with Phoebe before he placed his hands on his daughter's shoulders.  "Is it a premonition? What'd you see? What happened?"

In a daze, Pat slowly focused on her father before she suddenly looked away, shook her head, and sighed, "I'm twenty years old with horny teenagers for parents."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Phoebe questioned in surprise.

"It means," Pat sighed again, "that there already are seven of us and no one's getting any younger.   Ben and I are sharing an apartment with Wyatt and Chris, Mel's in college, Alex and Sam are teenagers, and you've still got the two kids.  Why would you want to start over with another baby? Y'know, Ben and I've sensed something off for a while now but he's gonna flip when he hears it's because of this."

"I hope that doesn't mean you and your brother have been practicing your powers on your parents," Cole commented in his warning tone.

"It's not like it was that hard," she defiantly replied.  "For weeks you guys've been radiating sheer…I don't know…I guess this explains it."

"I guess it does," he told her, "and you, young lady, have seven months to change your attitude."

"But Dad, it's not --" she began.

"Any of your business what your father and I decide to do," Phoebe heatedly interrupted before she reached for Cole's hand.  "Did it ever occur to you that maybe, just maybe, your father and I happen to love each other and have found no more beautiful way of expressing that love than by creating a new life?"

"You and each of your siblings are miracles but no more or less than the ones your mother is carrying.  And demon or witch heritage aside, your mother and I have beaten the odds and all expectations and we survived.  We've never been more united or stronger," Cole sternly told his daughter.  "And maybe," he continued with growing disappointment, "we deliberately kept this news a secret simply so we could enjoy this special time before we received all the lectures from everyone else on how we should be living our lives.  What a shame the first one had to come from our own daughter."  

"You were loved by us before you were even conceived and you will be loved by us for eternity but don't you dare pass judgment," Phoebe warned as she squeezed her husband's hand, "on me, on your father, or on any member of your family for their decisions."

"Have we made ourselves clear?" Cole demanded.

"Crystal," Pat quietly replied.

But as much as his children drove him crazy with their combined Halliwell-Turner genes, Cole still hated seeing his children upset, especially if he may have been the cause, and he quickly hugged his daughter.  "I love you, baby," he whispered while he gazed lovingly at Phoebe over his daughter's head.

"Love you too, Daddy," she mumbled into his chest as she had done when she was a little girl.  "Wait a minute!" she exclaimed when she suddenly pushed herself free from her father's embrace.  "What'd you mean, 'the ones' Mom's carrying? There's more than one?"

Phoebe grinned knowingly at her husband, reached for his hand, and led him past their stunned daughter.  "Come on, Patricia, everyone's waiting."

*********** ********** ************


	24. epilogue two

Epilogue Two 

Phoebe stepped from between Piper and Cole and led Chris into the center of the circle formed by their family.  "Twenty-three years ago tonight," she proclaimed, "evil tried to destroy the Charmed Ones and very nearly won.  The Halliwell line was on the verge of extinction and yet here we are, standing here today, because of you, Christopher Leo Halliwell."

Chris shuffled uncomfortably in his spot before he caught his mother's patient smile.  "It wasn't me," he insisted to her and to his father, standing at her other side.  "It was some alternate future version of me.  Do you have to make such a big deal about this?"

"Seems so, little brother," Wyatt grinned from his position between Leo and Paige.  "You are the hero of the hour."

"Absolutely," Piper concurred, "because it wasn't just Phoebe who was saved that night, Chris.  If history had gone the way you'd lived it, Aunt Paige, your Dad, and I also would've died."

Leo gazed longingly at Piper before he continued, "Your grandfather would've been killed and Wyatt would've turned evil.  And all your cousins forming this circle would never have existed."

Paige reached for her husband's hand next to her and smiled when Richard gave it an encouraging squeeze. "We stand before you, Chris," she added, "to thank you for what you have brought to our family." 

"Trouble," the teenage girl with long dark curly hair snickered next to Richard before Cole silenced her with a glare from the opposite side of the circle.  She looked down at the ground and mumbled, "Sorry, Dad."

Phoebe also glared with annoyance but indicated her daughter to Chris, "Alexandra, who, at sixteen, still seems to be your twin with the penchant for finding humor in any situation."

"Or for causing it," the tall young man next to Alex teased.  

Phoebe couldn't help but smile at her eldest child.  While she played no favorites among her children, Benjamin would always hold a special place in her heart, though whether it was because he was their first-born or because he was the spitting image of Cole, she couldn't say.  "Maybe so, Ben, who seems to be his cousin's twin in other ways," she teasingly admonished, "but Alex reminds us that sometimes laughter really is the best medicine."  She smiled warmly at her daughter who had finally looked up and she added, "And let's hope she remembers that later when she receives a lecture about the responsibilities of babysitting."

"I'm not a baby!" Randi adamantly stated while standing at Cole's side.

"No, you're not," Cole assured his current youngest child before hoisting her up and onto his shoulders.

"And you might want to join us later," Phoebe suggested to Chris.

"That's not a request," Piper clarified with a warning glance to her son.  "Really, Chris, you know better."

"Hey," he complained, "I thought I was guest of honor at this shindig."

"Right," Phoebe murmured, "so where was I?"

"You were picking on Alex," Alex grumbled as she kicked at the grass at her feet.

"Only because I love you," Phoebe teased before she focused on an amused Ben.  "And what about you, my witty son, who gave all your sisters male nicknames when they didn't turn out to be the brothers you'd wanted?"

"Look how long I waited for Matty," he good-naturedly complained, "and even with Dad, we're still outnumbered. Chris thought it was a neat idea."

Phoebe smiled when Chris took umbrage at being blamed for his cousin's habit but she continued in a more serious tone, "But for all your talk of majority among the males, there is no one more respectful to the honor of your sisters than you, Benjamin.  You remind us, daily, of the importance of being respectful of each other and to each other."

She turned Chris to her eldest daughter who was standing next to Ben.  "Patricia, with her father's way with words, will one day become one of the best lawyers for the innocents of this city…if her father or I don't strangle her first."

"Mom," Pat groaned with embarrassment.

"Ha," Chris muttered without sympathy.

Phoebe merely smiled and indicated to the pretty redhead standing next to Pat.  "Olivia, with her new hair color, reminds us that --"

"Fighting evil doesn't preclude looking good," the blond-streaked brown-haired young woman next to her quipped.

"Damn straight," Olivia nodded emphatically.  "And we've proven it, haven't we, Mel?" she questioned as she indicated to their matching pairs of brand-new high-heeled boots.

Phoebe shared an amused chuckle with Paige.  Their eighteen-year old daughters were younger versions of themselves and the best of friends who acted more like sisters than cousins.  And in spite of Paige's and Cole's strained relationship, the girls were practically joined at the hip, deep into fashion and the latest boy of the week.  But they took their Charmed duties seriously and never once shirked their responsibility for a shopping trip to the mall.   "You have shown us," Phoebe proudly declared, "how one can gracefully accept a life continuously fraught with evil and make it as normal as possible."

The girls glanced at each other with embarrassment and Olivia pulled Mel close and whispered in her ear, "What's with your Mom and all the melodrama tonight?"

Mel shrugged and whispered back, "She's been acting weird for weeks.  More than just in anticipation of this anniversary.  Her mood swings – one minute she's furious, the next crying.  It's almost like…" She stared at her mother, "No..."

"What?" Olivia hissed, annoyed she'd missed something potentially obvious.

Phoebe sighed when she felt her daughter's stunned realization.  "Not now, Melinda," she warned when Mel nearly exploded with the news.  Then she felt Pat's silent confirmation to Mel and was about to warn both again but Mel merely glared back at her in silence.  From the corner of her eye, Phoebe caught Cole's melancholy gaze to her and she sighed again with her own realization that their private time for enjoying her pregnancy was over.

"Dad," a brown-haired boy whispered from his spot next to Randi and his father, "what's Livvy's hair color gotta do with anything? Aunt Paige's always changing her hair to red and back and no one cares."

"Well, Matty, maybe Aunt Paige should try blue for a change," Cole conspiratorially suggested and enjoyed his son's laughter in response.  

Paige smiled sweetly at her brother-in-law and suggested, "Maybe it's time for the one hundred and forty-year old demon to lose his hair.  Permanently."

"Back to your corners," Phoebe cautioned.  And, just make sure they each got the message, she let them feel some possible repercussions if they continued.  They immediately offered curt apologies to one another and she nodded in satisfaction.

"But we're in a circle," Randi wondered aloud.  She frowned when everyone, including Aunt Paige and her father, laughed and, in frustration, she kicked her feet against Cole's upper chest.  He immediately pulled her off his shoulders and, in confusion, she exclaimed, "But, Daddy, we are and I know there's no corners in a circle!"

"And you're right, Miranda," Phoebe solemnly nodded while she quickly contained her own amusement and blocked out the soreness her husband was currently feeling.  "And one day, when you're old enough, you'll understand."

"That's what you always say," the little girl unhappily complained.

"Aunt Phoebe," Wyatt quietly interrupted after a quick glance to his watch, "it's getting late."

Phoebe nodded, indicated to her fifteen-year old daughter standing next to Mel, and told Chris, "A preemie who fought back and beat the odds, Sam is already a black belt in three different styles and has just begun to help her father train her younger siblings."  Sam blushed a deep shade of pink and Phoebe smiled at her most modest daughter, "Samantha, if I ever needed assurance as to what strength and determination can accomplish, all I have to do is look at you."

Sam felt her cheeks burning and nodded to her cousin standing next to her.  "Moving on…" she hinted to her mother.

"Ah, Seth," Phoebe nodded, "another of the few blessed quiet ones."  The comment enlisted protests from just about every cousin but she ignored them with a grin and focused on her fifteen-year old nephew.  "Seth, who inherited his father's cautiousness and his mother's studiousness and reminds us of maintaining the necessary balance between having patience and taking action."

"That's my boy," Paige and Richard simultaneously teased.

Seth groaned and muttered, "If this's Chris's night, why're we the ones getting embarrassed?"

"'Cuz that's our job," Piper answered in amusement, "and our right as your parents."

"It's my turn, Mom," Matt impatiently declared while he stood next to Seth.

"Seems so, buddy," Chris commented with a grin at the boy's enthusiasm.  "Let me guess, Aunt Pheebs, Matthew brings a new sense of adventure to this family.  Not that we ever needed it before but it's certainly been a fresh experience trying to conjure up flushed turtles."

"That was a long time ago when I was little," Matt practically shouted, displaying a flash of his inherited streak of temper, "and I thought it was okay since we flushed Mr. Fishy before that."

"Except Mr. Fishy was dead," Ben chuckled, "and the turtles weren't."

Chris knelt before Matt and ruffled the boy's hair, "I was just teasing.  We came up with some new turtles, didn't we? And you have all sorts of real adventures where you've been learning all about your powers, right?"  Matt nodded and Chris turned to Randi, "And I don't even have to ask about your adventures, do I?"  He winked at the little girl before he returned to the center of the circle and stood next to Phoebe.  "Kids," he shrugged with feigned innocence.

Phoebe cast a smile in her youngest children's direction and nodded, "They bring out the best in all of us, especially, it seems, in you, Chris.  They bring with them the wonder of being a child and remind us every day why we don't give up the fight against the evil in this world."  She gazed at Cole, "And evil won't win because we're stronger, because we have love on our side."

"Just remember you said that," Chris quietly told her in a way that was sure to remind her of their earlier conversation.

Phoebe understood but continued to gaze at Cole and, as she did, let her emotions flow into him while she received his.  This 'joining,' as she once termed it more than two decades ago, could be so intimate and so overwhelming that she'd, oftentimes, nearly burst into tears in the middle of a crowded room.  "We're standing here today because of your sacrifice, too," she said in a choked voice.  "You pushed aside your pain and anger at me and my sisters to save me, save us all, and, for the second time, you lost a part of yourself in the process.  And then without warning, or your approval, you were once again imbued with new powers and suddenly forced into embracing a new life."

"One I do not, and have never, regretted," he publicly affirmed.

"Perhaps not you," she quietly acknowledged while she bit back her own bitterness for her part in his fate.  After all this time, she still couldn't help but blame herself for his loss.  _'We'll never know if we would've made it if you'd still been a demon,'_ she had told him that morning while they had lain in each other's arms, basking in the afterglow of their lovemaking celebration.  _'I am still a demon,'_ he had assured her.  But even his loving touch and another tender affirmation and feeling complete with him couldn't completely dispel her fears.

Cole didn't need any power to know what his wife was thinking.  It was written all over her face.  The guilt.  _'You didn't deserve this.  Not the loss of Belthazor and certainly not this,'_ he recalled from that bleak evening thirteen years earlier when she'd woken from his healing to be told by him that he'd been unable to save the child she'd carried.  She'd softly cried those words and blamed herself for his pain, for the loss of Belthazor and of their child.  All her tears had been for him and, while he'd clung to her, he'd tried to comfort her with the knowledge that Belthazor would not have been an asset in that situation.  He'd sworn to her over and over that if he hadn't had his Whitelighter capabilities he'd have lost not only her in the battle but four of their other children.  He gazed at her now, standing next to his nephew, the one who'd made it all possible and felt her guilt.  He shook his head and, as he'd done so many times over the past two decades, allowed her to feel his forgiveness.  _'It's time to let go, love.  Let Belthazor rest in the past where he belongs.'_   

"No," she whispered as she tried to block his feelings.  She took a half-step back and jumped apologetically when she stepped on Chris's foot.

"Everything happens for a reason," Cole gently reminded her.  It still amazed him that, after all these years, she was the one who'd regretted the loss of Belthazor the most.  Not only had he made peace with it, he had come to enjoy the fact that he was free to be himself.  Yes, he was still a demon in spite of his good powers and yes, he still had a temper and never backed away from a fight and, yes, he was definitely the most unorthodox Whitelighter/Witch around but he was free.  And that was because of Chris's unexpected spell in the attic that night, twenty-three years earlier, and because of the petite woman who shyly gazed back at him from the center of the circle with the same deep brown loving eyes as when they'd first fallen in love.  But for some reason, he had yet to convince Phoebe that he was a better man, a better husband, and a better father, because of the change in his powers.  "And I'd let it happen again, a thousand times over, if I had to," he sincerely promised her.  

Phoebe sniffled, sent him waves of love and promises of a tender and loving evening, composed herself, and turned to Wyatt.  In a somewhat hoarse voice, she told him, "You've set aside your prophesized future and have started down a path in order to create a future all your own.  And in following in your father's footsteps, using your talents to heal, you will bring comfort to those whose lives have been touched by evil whether due to demon or disease."  Wyatt shrugged as uncomfortably as his cousins had when they were praised and she focused once more on Chris.  "Which brings us back to you, Christopher.  You who, in any future, refused to live in your brother's shadow and carved your own niche within this family.  You have been protector, confidant, advocate, or clown to any one of us at any time when we, ourselves, may not have even realized we needed it."

"I'd be lost without you," he commented in a tone uncharacteristically more serious than sarcastic.

"We'd have been lost without you," Piper softly corrected while Phoebe left Chris in the center of the circle and returned to her original place.

Phoebe reached for her husband's hand and then announced, "Sixteen souls create this circle to pay honor and tribute to a hero."  She nodded to her sisters, all three closed their eyes, and a shower of multi-colored rose petals rained upon Chris in the center.

Pat watched and chuckled at Chris's discomfort and then realized that Mel, Olivia, and Seth were magically hiding the event from any stranger who might happen upon the scene.  She chuckled again when her youngest siblings tried to catch the petals but she froze when she suddenly realized that Matt and Randi were no longer her youngest siblings.  She poked Ben with her elbow and mentally relayed her news.

With no one paying him any attention, Ben immediately closed his eyes and tried calling for a premonition.  And what he saw sent him to his knees where he threw his hands up in the air and shouted, "Thank you, Lord!  Finally!"

Stunned, Phoebe opened her eyes and, when the petals immediately stopped falling, caught her eldest daughter's guilty expression.  She turned to Cole for support but he had the nerve to shrug in amusement.

"It's a tie!" Ben gleefully exclaimed, deliberately ignoring his mother's annoyance.  "One more," he encouraged to his father as he got to his feet, "and we'll finally rule the house!"

"Pity you're not in the house anymore," Cole teased.  "And before your mother has heart failure at the thought of another pregnancy," he continued after a glance to a suddenly pale Phoebe, "let's get her through the next seven months."

"I don't under--" Piper began in confusion before she suddenly stared at her younger sister in shock, "Phoebe! Triplets?!"

"All boys," Paige gasped when realization hit her at the same moment.  "Hell, we're in for it now…"

"Paige…" Richard warned when he caught a flicker of pain cross Phoebe's face.  "Congratulations," he sincerely wished the couple.

"Daddy," Randi tugged on Cole's pant leg, "I don't understand."

Cole broke his gaze from Phoebe and turned to his daughter.  "Ben is excited because in seven months there will be the same number of boys in our family as girls."  She nodded but he realized that she didn't fully grasp the implications so he knelt next to her and explained, "It means that you're going to be a big sister to three baby brothers."

"Big sister?" she questioned.  And, when he nodded, she looked over his shoulder to her mother, "And that means they'll have to listen to me, right? 'Cuz I'm their big sister?"  Phoebe nodded her confirmation and, to the delight of everyone in the family, Randi mimicked her big brother and fell to her knees as she shouted, "Thank you, Lord!  Finally!"

Laughing, Cole scooped up his daughter and kissed her soundly between her neck and shoulders causing her to giggle, wriggle free, and levitate to the ground.

As the excitement died down, Phoebe amended her earlier statement.  "Nineteen souls stand before you, Chris, and thank you for your gift of a future, of a life blessed with goodness and light."

One by one, every member in the circle reached for the hand of his or her neighbor.  And, as they did, the circle seemed to glow in a pure radiant white light.

"And forever shall we blessed be," Phoebe prayed.

"Blessed be," everyone murmured as they stood together and watched the light fade away with the day's sun.

*********** ********** ************

When they stepped onto the patio, Piper reached for Paige's hand as they silently watched Phoebe gaze at the stars.  Phoebe's hand was pressed to her chest and Piper grew concerned.  "Pheebs? You okay?"

Phoebe didn't turn around, glanced down at her open collar, and softly admitted, "Sometimes I still see it changing colors.  The star, I mean."

When she didn't speak further, Piper squeezed Paige's hand, released it, and shivered in the cool air before she informed her sister, "Cole and the kids are back.  They got the Drander and they're all okay."

"I know," Phoebe quietly answered without facing them, "Cole let me know."

Paige shook her head, "Freaks me out the way you two do that."

Phoebe couldn't help but grin and turned to her younger sister, "I know." 

Piper then smiled and told Phoebe, "The kids're arguing over what movie to watch.  Y'know, it's not every day they're all in the house like this.  Wanna come and watch?  It should be fun."

Phoebe shook her head, turned back to look up at the sky, and pressed her hand back to her chest. "I'll be in soon.  Cole understands."  

"It's over, Phoebe," Paige quietly told her as she and Piper finally approached.  "The Dark Starling's long gone.  You're safe and so is our family.  Even What's-His-Name," she teased.  But while Phoebe nodded, tears fell from her eyes, and Paige quickly hugged her from behind.  "I love you, and nothing, not even the demon, can ever change that."

Piper joined in the hug and apologized to her younger sister, "And we should've shown you a bit more enthusiasm and support when Ben announced your news.  I guess we were taken by surprise."

"How could you be surprised," Phoebe snorted, "after all the snide remarks about my recent weight-gain and when I've barely gotten through an entire meal with all of you without excusing myself for a run to the bathroom."

Knowing most of the comments came from her, Paige felt ashamed and quietly wondered, "Did you really think we wouldn't be happy for you?"

Phoebe gently pried herself out of their embrace and stepped away from them.  She returned her gaze to the dark sky.  "Maybe," she admitted, "after you'd gotten the lectures out of your system."

"Oh, Pheebs," Piper whispered with shame of her own, "of course we're happy for you.  We know how much you and Cole love each other and we know how much you love your children."

"But this time," Paige added, "there're physical reasons for our concern.  You're fifty-three, Phoebe, an age when so many women are becoming grandmothers, not mothers.  And you already have seven children to look out for when you're not stressed out over two jobs or the evil we're forced to confront every week."

Piper reached for Phoebe's shoulder and squeezed it, "Are you really up for the stresses of another pregnancy?"

"And one with triplets is high-risk," Paige cautiously commented, "even without those stresses we've mentioned.  We don't want anything to happen to you." 

"I love you both," Phoebe stated as she finally turned and faced them both.   "You know that, don't you?"

"We've never doubted it," Paige assured her.  "Not even when you married What's-His-Name," she admitted in an attempt to tease her sister.  Granted, she and Cole still didn't get along but she stopped begrudging his marriage to her sister over two decades ago.  She and Cole would probably never get along but their mutual love for Phoebe and the children kept them well within the boundaries of respect.  They never let their one-upmanship for each other go over the edge and they never caused any danger for either or for their loved ones.  And, when necessary, they were certainly a formidable combination against evil.  A poke from Piper's elbow interrupted her thoughts and she realized she'd missed an exchange. 

"Then believe me," Phoebe earnestly continued, "that the doctor said I've got the body of a thirty-year old and that right now, anyway, she doesn't foresee any unusual complications."

"Personal gain?" Piper worried.   She'd seen and experienced too many backfires from personal gain and had done her best to make sure that Leo and Wyatt never tested the limits when it came to healing for non-magical reasons.

"Truthfully," Phoebe shrugged, "I don't think about it.  It makes Cole feel better to take care of me, of our kids, and I let him.  Look, I know that, even with Cole's powers monitoring my health, this pregnancy won't be easy and it's not just because I'm carrying triplets.  We've been talking for four years about having another baby.  Rather I've been talking."

"Cole doesn't want this baby?" Paige questioned a bit too defensively.  If he had hurt her sister…

"Of course he does," Phoebe softly replied.  "But it's never been the same for us since we lost…" she clenched her fists and tried to keep herself from breaking down.  It was so hard to think of that night without recalling all the pain, without feeling it all anew.  Her sisters, bless them, waited patiently for her and she finally wiped her eyes and cleared her throat before she asked, "Haven't you ever wondered about the age gap between Sam and Matt?"

Piper shared a concerned glance with Paige before she shrugged, "I guess we figured he was just an accident."

"But a happy one," Paige quickly clarified.  "You know we adore him.  And we were all so excited to have another baby around."

Phoebe smiled wryly, "The only happy accident we had was Patricia.  Believe me, eleven months between children was not our idea of perfect timing."  Her sisters chuckled and her smile faded, "Not even Sam's birth was enough to sway us from our plans."  She shrugged helplessly to her sisters, "We love each other and to create a child…"

"We know, Pheebs," Piper empathized, "we know because we've been there."

Paige nodded, "Don't you remember what a weepy basket-case I was before Seth was born?"

Phoebe smiled but it faded from her face fairly quickly.  "Cole and I…we love our children, each and every one of them, and it was never a matter of having a certain number of kids but more a matter of feeling that completeness when we had a new life on the way.  But when we…when we lost…" Phoebe couldn't continue and, again, her sisters waited patiently for her to compose herself.  Piper rubbed her back as she leaned into Paige's embrace.  After a moment, she pulled away from both and hugged herself.  "Everything changed.  We…Cole…got scared.  For so long he was afraid to touch me and I couldn't blame him.  Not after what I'd done."

Paige suddenly grew angry when she realized what her sister meant.  "Dammit, Phoebe, I hate it when you do this!"  She spun Phoebe to face her and grabbed her sister as she tried to get through Phoebe's stubborn head, "Belthazor was vanquished because I threw the potion.   You were dying and, in my anger, I threw it.  Hell, if I'd thrown the potion I'd wanted there wouldn't be any of Cole left in your life."

"What Paige is trying to say in a not so delicate way," Piper said with a warning glance to her youngest sister, "is that it's time to stop blaming yourself, Phoebe.  No one, not even Cole, wishes things were any different than they are."

"I love him," Phoebe tearfully stated, lost in her own thoughts, "but I couldn't convince him to try again.  After the…after that night, Cole was so scared of having another baby because of all the chaos we live in.  He felt five miracles were more than enough and that we shouldn't tempt fate by being greedy for more."  Her voice dropped to a whisper, "Deliberately going against his wishes and getting pregnant with Matt, and later Randi, may not've been one of my smartest moves but I knew how deeply he loved being a father and that once he got over that initial anger and fear after hearing the news…" She suddenly raised her voice and insisted, "Cole has never regretted their addition to our family."

"But he still felt that you should count your blessings and not tempt fate," Piper guessed.  Phoebe nodded and, though disappointed to realize that Phoebe had never shared any of this with her before, Piper knew it was more important for her to be there for Phoebe now rather than dwell on the past.  She encouraged her sister to continue.  "But you still wanted another baby after Randi was born.  Was this pregnancy another of your deliberate plans?"

Phoebe vigorously shook her head.  "I'd never have gone ahead with this without Cole's knowledge for every reason you already said."  She sighed sadly, "I know, even with Cole's help, time's running out for having a baby and that this may well be my last pregnancy no matter how much we, or even Ben, would want otherwise."  She wiped away a tear and confided, "The whole point was to have Cole enjoy every aspect of the pregnancy, from trying to get pregnant through the days of being unsure through the confirmation and…Can't you understand? I just wanted Cole to be able to enjoy another pregnancy with me and not have it clouded under fear and pain.  It's not like I wished for triplets but…" She suddenly glanced up at the stars and, through her tears, asked, "You stopped laughing yet, Grams?"

Piper suddenly giggled, "I'm sure she'll make her presence known when she's picked herself up off the clouds."

Phoebe winced and remembered the lecture Grams gave her when she'd announced her pregnancy with Randi.  "Remind me not to be there," she requested.

Piper laughed and said, "Mom's probably over the moon at the prospect of becoming a grandmother again.  And Prue, Miss-Know-It-All, is probably announcing to everyone that she knew you'd have all these kids because she knew her baby sister was gonna make a great mom."

"It's your father who's gonna have the heart attack," Paige teased.  "Victor's gonna have a field day with this one, or should I say three?"

"At least he's not out to vanquish my husband every time I turn my back," Phoebe playfully snapped before more tears fell.  "Damned hormones."

"Better you than me," Paige chuckled.  "My baby making days ended immediately after those twenty hours of labor with Seth did.  And, truth is, Richard and I are happy enough with just the two of them.  Besides, Mel practically has her own room in my house and, if I ever wanted another kid, I only have to borrow another one of yours, Pheebs."

Piper smiled in relief when Phoebe laughed in response and she gently wiped away her younger sister's tears.  "I know how strong you are," she told her sister, "and that you can do this but we're gonna be there for you every step of the way."

Phoebe unconsciously rubbed her chest where the black star once branded her.  "You're the strong one, Piper," she disagreed.  "You're the one who holds this family together."

"Not exactly true," Leo interrupted when he stepped onto the patio with Cole and Richard following behind him.  While the two men went to their spouses, he stood next to Piper and explained, "The triquetra, the symbol of your line, is composed of three interlocking branches.  Each of you represents the strength of one of those branches.  If Piper exhibits the strength of the body through her powers of protecting this family, then Paige provides the strength of mind with her quest for knowledge and building on it for yourselves and future generations.  Which leaves you, Phoebe, to protect us with your strength of soul by bonding us with love and hope.  The three of you, the Charmed Ones, have fulfilled your destinies and ensured a firm foundation for the next generation, our children.  They are the circle formed by the interlocking branches in the triquetra.  One cannot be without the other.  You have done them proud.  Done us all proud and we are all in your debt."

Unable to fully accept, or believe, in the compliment of their beloved Elder, the three witches looked uncomfortably at each other and were saved from responding by Ben who interrupted.

"Hey, we've finally agreed on one of the classics, 'Star Wars,'" he announced, oblivious to the solemn moment.  "You guys comin'?" he added even though he'd already gone back indoors.  "Popcorn's ready!" he shouted.

"We'd better go in," Phoebe suggested in a slightly choked voice, "before he and Chris eat all that popcorn."  The others all laughed in agreement, coupled off, and, arm-in-arm, headed indoors.  But Cole tugged on her hand, stopping her from following, and she turned to him in confusion.

Cole cupped her chin in his hand and bent his head to tenderly kiss her lips.  While he lightly pressed his hands to her cheeks, his thumbs brushed away her remaining tears.  "I love you," was all he could say.

She then brought his right hand to the top of her chest, pressed it to the star visible only in her mind, before she guided it down and pressed it to her slightly rounded belly.  Her knees weakened when his suddenly overwhelming love rushed through her and she sagged against him.  "No more than I love you," she tearfully insisted as she clung to him and pulled him even closer for another kiss.

When they finally parted lips, Cole rested his forehead against hers for a moment before he glanced up at the stars.  "Did you make a wish?" he asked even as he made a silent wish of his own.

Phoebe glanced up too before she gazed into his eyes.  "Of course," she admitted, "because wishes upon stars always come true."

"Even dark stars?" he murmured as he kissed her forehead and then gathered her again in his arms.

Pressing her ear to his chest and finding comfort in the rhythm of his beating heart, she softly added, "Especially the dark stars.  My dreams came true."

"And I'll make sure they always come true," he promised while he found comfort in the simple warmth of her body being close to his.  But he pulled away and suggested, "How about we go in there and test our kids' willpower?"

Phoebe's eyes glimmered, "You mean see which ones'll try to sneak and read us and we make them as uncomfortable as possible and really make them squirm to see who gives up first?"

"Exactly," his eyes gleamed with excitement.

"That's evil," she teased, the word slipping out before she knew it.

Thankful she hadn't censored herself or gotten upset, Cole hugged her tightly and informed her, "And you love it."

"I do," she admitted as she gazed at him full of love, "and I love you."

"Then, Mrs. Turner," he announced as he swept her up into his arms, "let's have some fun."

"Always, Mr. Turner," she promised as she wrapped her hands tighter around his neck and forced his head down for a kiss.  "Always," she repeated with a smile.

**_the end..._**


End file.
